Album Review: Boris & Uniform – Bright New Disease

Intense, dynamic and distinctive

On their newest collaboration, Boris and Uniform bring us a metal album with a variety of different styles. From scream singing, to electronic music, to heavy guitar and drums, to instrumentals, the album covers all elements of a full and complete metal record. Boris, the Japanese sludge trio, is able to let their influence shine through with the rock guitars whereas Uniform, the New York-based industrial metal band, is able to show off their metal vocals throughout the whole album. If you’re a metalhead that also loves a little taste of rock, this is the album for you. 

The opening track, “You Are The Beginning,” gives the listener a perfect introduction of what to expect from the rest of the record. It lets you get a taste of those metal scream vocals while also staying true to Boris’s sludge rock feel. It serves as the perfect lead into the second song “Weaponized Grief” which has a similar sound. 

Out of all the songs on the album, “The Sinners of Hell” takes the cake for most surprising and distinctive. The whole song is instrumental and has a different feel than the rest of the album. For the full five minute song, the listener is entranced by the ever-changing and daunting patterns of the guitars and drums. The drums start off almost like footsteps, which catches the listener’s ear. The track introduces different rock and metal aspects as it progresses, telling a story without ever saying a word. 

After the instrumental piece, the album moves into “Narcotic Shadow,” which offers a bit more rhythm and rock feel than the rest of the album. “Endless Death Agony” follows which has an intense guitar section that completely catches listeners’ attention. 

The album closes out with “Not Surprised” which ties the album back to its metal/rock roots. It features powerful vocals and intricate rock guitar and driving drums that originally captured the listener’s attention. Bright New Disease is definitely a darker listen with lots of loud sounds but fans of intense sounding music will appreciate all it has to offer.