Pay a visit to the myspace of one Thisquietarmy aka Eric Quach. Within the photos section you will find a studio shot of one hundred effects pedals all plugged into one guitar and a line running into the veins of Quach, seated in a recliner tripping balls. This man is serious about his guitarsenal.

I am joking of course, but having laid eyes on such a spectacle, one would think either he is extremely talented and thoughtful enough to utilize this plethora of gadgets, or maybe not all of his dogs are barking. But to simply make fun would diminish the work and skill found within the eight tracks found of "Unconquered".

"Immobilization" is the opener and paints a bleak and dramatic picture of cinematic proportions. Layers of guitar are stacked atop each other, swirling and panning channels into a thick grey fog of war. The war motifs of course are part of the concept, right down to artwork and track titles, and the sounds paint such imagery of chaos, destruction, and decay very well.

"Warchitects" opens with pounding drums and an anthemic guitar riff coming to the forefront of the already crammed atmosphere. "The Sun Destroyers" lowers the mood a notch and adds more granulated textures before giving way to further booming drums as if blasted across a warehouse.

What sets this album apart from other guitar albums is Quach's willingness to throw in more structure or even elements like the aforementioned drum machines and, Bloody Heck! Vocals! Is He Crazy? (Well you saw the pedal photo right?) Luckily he is not; the drums and vocals are perfectly crafted to work within the drones and glacial plucking.

The vocal track in question: "The Great Escapist" will stand out upon first inspection, and depending on the listener it could be a bone of contention. The vocals and the lyrics are quite possibly sickening and cringe worthy, but on the other hand they are also the opposite: an important puzzle piece of the album's concept. For me the gamble paid off, and I could not help but be swept away in the magic.

After setting me up with certain thematic concepts, Unconquered laid waste to my expectations and I could not ask for more than that. 8/10 -- Zac Keiller (15 October, 2008)