Thursday, March 22, 2012

Undergang - Til Døden Os Skiller


It's too bad I don't understand any of the song titles or the album title for this record, because the material here is some of the best death metal I've heard all year. Undergang are definitely a special find simply because they sound like a fantastic mix of some of death metal's finest. They have the groove and midpaced excellence of Bolt Thrower, the low and dark sound of Incantation and the catchiness and excellence in execution of the Swedeath bands. If you don't enjoy any of the bands that were just mentioned, then stop reading this review and hide in a corner with razor blades in hand because Undergang is just too good of a band to pass up.

If it weren't good enough that Undergang's music is heavier than the average elephant, the production of this record completely compliments the sound on "Til Døden Os Skiller" as it allows every thump of the bass to slam the listener, every drum beat to stand out and every riff to drag the unfortunate soul of whoever hears them to a very dark and filthy place. Once the sample on the opening track "Oploste Adsler" clears and the opening tremolo sequence is finished, a monster of a riff enters the fray and immediately you will be dreading the impending damage that your neck is going to suffer because of it. The band's ability to mix in dark tremolo sections that just slither along with violent midpaced passages so perfectly cannot be ignored, and is the reason why the music on this record is so damn good, especially on the headbanging marathon that is "Stranguleret." 

A midst the Incantation-esque tremolos and Bolt Thrower-like grooves, Undergang also blesses the listener with some gloomy doom riffs that would make Autopsy proud, with "Radden Messe" and "Nar Bornene Der" being the standouts. There isn't much more that can be said about this album other than it simply should not and cannot be overlooked. Every death metal fan who keeps up with the scene today should know of Undergang, so if you're a fan of Funebrarum, Disma, Funerus, etc, then these guys need to be on your radar. 

Highlights
"Habet Er Ligblegt"
"Stranguleret"
"Nar Bernene Der"

Final Rating
4.4/5 or 88%.