Complex, highly technical, unusual time signatures.
Staccato and syncopated polyrhythmic guitar melodies.
Mathcore.
Yawn.
Does not sound fun to you?
Alright - enter nudity, booze fueled shenanigans and fascinating borderline performance art live incarnations.
Enter Totally Unicorn from Wollongong, NSW South Wales, Australia.
Dream Life is their first impressive full length, which was released in 2016 and surprised quite a few of their followers: Not that it broke with their ever evolving volatile live formula, but in that it was an Abrißbirne of a record.
Yup, influence-wise there are traces of the good ole faithfuls of the genre shimmering through, i.e. Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge along with others like Botch and heavier nuances à la Agoraphobic Nosebleed, yet what makes Dream Life outstanding is that Totally Unicorn present a “progressive” hardcore album, which is infused with their own brew of “ je ne sais quoi” and their ADHD, scatterbrained, trademarked party edge.
Dream Life is raw. It is unique. It is powerful.
Bullishly In your face yet based on sophisticated, well thought out song writing, heavy on the bridging “tension and release” concept.
It gives a damn about conventions.
A beautifully orchestrated chaotic mess: There is range.
Dream Life is fun, serious, seriously fun, joyous, regretful, taking the piss, deep, funny, unnerving, energetic.
Sounds like an accumulation of oxymorons?
That’s exactly what is part of Totally Unicorn's appeal.
Totally Unicorn’s live shows are spectacles and it is only a matter of time before they will rightfully enter bigger stages both in Australia and internationally to blow away more established cookie cutter epigones of the genre and win audiences over.
You have been given ample notice - do yourself a favour and check them out as long as they are still able to wreck havoc in small venues.
