Ladies and gentlemen we are gathered here today to discuss a band many have come to adore. A few short years ago a star was poised above the great state of New York and just beyond the busy noise of the big city a grumbling began beneath the earth. A devilishly intoxicating venom started seeping through the cracks in the streets, and soon people would travel from far across the land just to get a taste. They said RISE UP! RISE!And so began the life of a band called Undeath. Can I get an amen?!
“For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God”
Hebrews 11:10 – in the voice of Sam Jackson.
Just in case I’m being unclear, the God in this scenario is Death Metal. We could argue about which characters are good or bad, but why waste the time? At the end of the day, for better or worse, what gets the glory is the music itself. Death Metal these days is a great story to tell, and participating in that discussion just… makes me feel good, man. Fuck it.
I was at an Undeath show a few weeks ago, and thinking about it now makes me smile. They were selling bumper stickers with their logo and the quote from Chris Barnes – “it made me physically ill. I despise what this genre has become.- Fucking hysterical, and also… absolute genius. Because, as I’m sure Undeath are aware, Six Feet Under fans could just switch the logo and make the same point. [Watch the video of Trendcrusher’s interview with Alexander Jones below and you’ll see a picture of the sticker.]
If you are a Death Metal fan and have an opinion at all, you’re going to want to hear It’s Time… To Rise From The Grave. The anticipation is killing you, isn’t it? Here’s another question. Have you listened to more Six Feet Under than you did two months ago? Yes or no, I still say good! But opinions are like assholes, and I’ve been told I can be one [Recently, some particularly spirited Sabaton fans voiced some concerns.]
I feel like there’s been so much anticipation around the release of this record, I gotta be honest it’s hard not to be a little biased here. I am transparently on Undeath’s side of the argument, so I don’t want to take up all sorts of space here trying to explain what anyone who knows what I’m talking about doesn’t also already know. If you hear what Chris Barnes says he hears when sounds come out of things, you will probably not enjoy spending time with this album.
The riffs are nastier and faster than they were on 2020’s Lesions Of A Different Kind. Which is not to say they’re superior, they’re just filled with more energy. The same can be said for the vocals, which make it tough to argue against Undeath. Right now the whole idea is that they’re being given the opportunity to stand up right next to whatever we, or anyone else considers the best, and put up a fight. Fronted by Alexander Jones, standing alongside those riffs, and that rhythm section holding it all together? This entire album will knock you on your ass!
Fiend For Corpses goes for the throat in less than two seconds. It does not care if your precious face is in the way. Human Chandelier possesses the kind of guitar work that creates guitarists, and there really is no better example of how destructive this record is than the latest single, Necrobiotics.
With all this said, leaving a rating at the end of my rant here seems silly. If you need one, you can probably just shove it up your ass. This is the kind of Death Metal we take into battle, and fuck you if you prefer some other devil screaming at you, because when I think about the bruises they’ll leave behind this is what I hear in my head.
Let that be the lesson here. The point isn’t to break the mold but kick its ass just enough that its guts start spilling over the sides. Open up the minds of enough people to make some room for more, which will eventually just make the mold bigger. Old making way for the new is never an easy pill for fogies to swallow, and I know this because I myself am on the other side of young. It’s Time… To Rise From The Grave, ironically, reminds me of a time when getting old seemed a long way off. And all of the bands that left marks.
J. Wukotich
Trendcrusher was lucky enough to have a nice long chat with Undeath vocalist Alexander Jones, in which they discuss the current state of Death Metal, and many other things. It really is an entertaining conversation to hear, because both of these guys are so obviously fans of the music. Infectious, to say the least. Enjoy!
Links:
The Metal Wanderlust 