UNREST FATALIST is a five-piece Death Metal group from France. Formed in 2010 by guitarist Valross and bassist Hylje, the group released their first studio recording, "The Breath of the First Battle" EP, last year. After some lineup retooling, the band returns this year with their full-length debut, the dark, varied "Roots of Fate."

The majority of the album's songs are primarily mid-paced, but they are all different enough that this isn't a problem. Credit for this goes in part to drummer Björn, whose impressive skinsmanship drives each song forward with confidence. The drums are a little high in the mix, which sometimes distracts from the vocals and guitars, but only slightly (the bass isn't really noticeable at all). Lead vocalist Grog's powerful, throaty growl works hand-in-hand with the drums in shaping the band's aggressive, brutal sound. Not to be forgotten, Valross and Svartoth's playing is formidable throughout, impressing at both slow and fast speeds with heavy, crunchy riffing and tasteful leads. The band's music focuses primarily on myths and folklore, and Norse mythology in particular.

After the airy, acoustic opener "To The Forest Edge," comes "Praying Gods," which sums up UNREST FATALIST's approach in a neat, 5-minute package complete with pounding double bass drums and emphatic, bone-crushing riffs. This song is also one of a few on the record to include an extended flute passage. I'm not really high on the flute, maybe because I can't think of many less-Metal instruments they could have used, but it works well in capturing the sort of old-world vibe that the band's music draws from while not diminishing the impact of the other instruments. Other instances of this can be heard on "When Beers Replace The Iron" as well as the pummeling "Way to the Next Land."

After the impressive "Punishment or Destiny," comes the one-two punch of "The Calling" and "Loki's Control." These are two of the fastest tracks on the album and, unsurprisingly, are some of the strongest, with the band's instrumental prowess on full display.

While the group's songwriting and instrumentation is very good, the main issue I have with this album is that its just not that exciting overall. There are a number of strong moments to be found throughout the album, including standouts such as "Deadly Winds" and "Way to the Next Land," but none of it is particularly mind-blowing. ROOTS OF FATE is a solid, if unspectacular, Death Metal record, definitely better than average but not quite captivating enough.