Review Thrown – Unwanted

For some, THROWN are the future; for others, they are the most overrated band in metal. With their Deathcore stripped down to the genre’s essence, the Swedish quartet certainly polarize: the first album „Excessive Guilt“ had a running time of 20:35 minutes and thus still ran almost twice as long as the debut EP. Two years later, THROWN now follow it up with „Unwanted“ – but there is not much time to form a first opinion this time either: once again, the Swedes limit themselves to just under 20 minutes, again spread across eleven songs.

It goes without saying that this does not leave much time for expansive arrangements or atmospheric build-up. Yet THROWN once again manage to pack a surprising amount into the songs: even though you have already heard the longest of them, „Critic“, just 2:26 minutes after the album kicks off, and the shortest (fittingly titled „Bare Minimum“) runs for just 1:11 minutes.

At an undiminished level of brutality – especially in the brutal bass and the highly distorted guitars – THROWN come across noticeably more melodic than before: „Critic“ already starts with a catchy melody. But other songs (e.g. „Doing Great“) also contain more melody, albeit somewhat more subtly, than the chunk of hate that is „Excessive Guilt“. No one needs to fear any “softening up”, though: on their second album, too, THROWN still hit hard. The fat breakdowns and the touch of rap flow in the screaming („Subpar“) make THROWN sound far more distinctive than skeptics would consider possible with deathcore and such short running times.

Whether 20 minutes of music are really enough for the traditional physical formats is another question – a bargain it certainly isn’t when an LP for a good €30 gives you 10 minutes of playing time per side, and even on the CD each song still comes in at just under €2. It seems doubtful, however, that a young band like THROWN is not focusing far more on the streaming market – and in that context, a diverting but also quickly consumable album absolutely captures the spirit of the times. Nothing is standing in the way of the Swedes’ further rise.

Publiziert am 3. November 2026 von Moritz Grütz