Massachusetts’ WIDOW SUNDAY is an intense band that blend powerful hooks and infectious melodies together with some good old fashioned brutality. Their aggressive concoction combines elements of hardcore, industrial, death metal and heavy metal. Their full-length debut, In These Rusted Veins, draws influences from MESHEGGAH, PANTERA, WHITE CHAPEL and DEVIL DRIVER.

The band’s name is taken from a 19th century Parisian woman named Madame Dimanche, or Widow Sunday. She had a medical abomination in which a 9.8-inch bone horn formed from her forehead. The Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia have a wax casting of the Widow Sunday on display.

The band’s technical chops allow them to change tempos and styles at will, while still retaining a certain sense of melody and aggression. The fluidity of drummer Darin Moyen is pretty impressive. He has such a fat snare and a full punch in the chest bass drum sound. The aggressive barks from vocalist Jacob Falconer compliment the barrage of groove-laden riffs from guitarists Sean Duffy and Adam Cutler. 

After the brooding orchestral-sampled intro “Liberate Tuteme Ex Inferis,” “Channeled” starts with a pounding PANTERA-type riff and some aggressive and powerful growls from Falconer. The sullen and melancholic piano and strings section interlude, “Tragoedia,” is a nice break between the aggression. It then gets back into full swing with “Hippie Drill.” Falconer’s death metal growl and the band’s fast pace bludgeoning will rip your face off, then it slows down into a groove breakdown before regaining speed again. Bassist Patrick Flaherty shows his skills on “Forever Sleep,” and with a piano outro, it really adds a nice variation to the song. Then, they throw you for a loop with their electronica/industrial beginning of “Blood Money.” 

WIDOW SUNDAY is not a band that is stuck in one certain style. They are constantly mixing genres and styles to the point where you just can’t label them as one genre. The band’s diverse musical background leaves the listener not knowing what to expect next.

In These Rusted Veins is a pretty solid debut effort. There’s enough variation on the album to please the most ficklest of metalheads. I can almost assure you that the pit will be raging at one of their live shows.