Unitron Varga made a small name for themselves back in the early 90's with their single "Greed" being featured on the popular MTV cartoon Beavis and Butthead. Said single came from the band's debut studio album, Prototype, which was an amazing industrial/groove/thrash metal album which had amazing riffs, hooks, and variety. It's really one of the best hidden gems of 90's metal. However, the band started out playing technical thrash metal with their debut demo. When the band returned from a long time away in 2011, they released two albums a few years later which saw a return to their original sound.

Now those two new studio albums were fantastic comeback albums, and it was great to see such an underrated band come back with flying colors. Now the band has returned yet again with a new single, that ranks with the band's absolute best songs. "Mileage" is a crushing thrash metal track that's full of bite and attitude. Joe Varga's vocals has his signature edgy thrash personality blended with some higher-range vocals that scream so much attitude with the chorus. His bass, Dan Fila on drums, and Sean Williamson's guitar work bring a fantastic and catchy groove to the whole song. Williamson plays a killer spinning chromatic guitar solo that is complimented perfectly with Varga's low tuned and driving bassline.

All in all, this is classic Varga. It's a perfect mix of the band's reformed tech thrash sound with the personality and groove of their classic Prototype. Speaking for myself as a huge Varga fan, this single has me hyped for more. Can't wait to hear what these guys have coming next! Hope you found this review helpful, feel free to comment!

Unitron Varga - Prototype

"Prototype" is the debut studio album by industrial/groove/thrash metal band Varga. Varga started out as a prog/technical thrash metal band with the release of their first demo, but by the the time of the release of their first studio album they had adapted a more industrial/groove sound. While not overly successful, they did achieve some popularity with the music videos of the singles 'Greed' and 'Freeze Don't Move'. The former was featured on the popular MTV show "Beavis and Butthead".

While the music is based in the aforementioned industrial/groove sound, Varga combines many different styles of metal including thrash, classic heavy metal, and even rap metal on 'Freeze Don't Move'. "Prototype" is quite a varied release, so one song may be groovy thrash and the next may be a grunge-y heavy metal track. I really enjoy all the songs on the album, but my personal favorites would be the thrashing songs like 'Unconscience', 'Thief', 'Bring the Hammer Down', 'The Strong' and the groove of 'Greed', 'Film at Eleven', and 'Freeze Don't Move'. 'Freeze Don't Move' sounds like a combination of Ministry and Stuck Mojo, and the mix fits really well together. There are some really sweet riffs on the album, and no songs showcase that better than 'Unconscience', 'Film at Eleven' and 'The Strong', the latter two's punching riffs always making me want to throw my fist in the air.

The lyrics are really strong, mostly dealing with political/social issues. Joe Varga's vocals fit the music perfectly, and his almost protest chant-like vocal delivery couldn't be placed better. His voice reminds me a bit of Sebastian Bach of Skid Row, but with more of an edge. He gives an especially great vocal performance during the chorus of 'Unconscience'.

Overall, I highly recommend this album to any fans of industrial, groove, or thrash. It's got great riffs, great vocals, and great variety. Certainly a perfect definition of an underrated classic. Hope you found this review helpful.

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