Covenant

Released in 2018, Covenant represents a pivotal moment for Unprocessed, marking their transition into the upper echelon of the progressive metal scene. While their later work would lean more heavily into pop-inflected 'slap guitar' techniques, Covenant is firmly rooted in the technical metalcore and djent traditions, albeit with a much cleaner, more 'digital' aesthetic than their peers. The album is characterized by Manuel Gardner Fernandes's exceptional guitar work, which utilizes complex tapping and percussive techniques that would soon become his signature. Critically, the album was praised for its production quality, which avoids the 'muddy' sound typical of heavy releases in favor of a sharp, separated mix that highlights the rhythmic interplay between the bass and drums. It stands as a bridge between the raw aggression of early djent and the more experimental, genre-fluid direction the band would later take.