Undergang – De Syv Stadier Af Fordærv

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Returning for another successful outing Denmark’s death metal four-piece Undergang launches its brand-new EP 'De Syv Stadier Af Fordærv' out on Me Saco Un Ojo and Dark Descent Records on September 1st, 2023. Since its formation in 2008 Undergang managed to gain a respectable reputation for being top top-notch caliber in the underground scene. 'De Syv Stadier Af Fordærv' delivers a pulverizing set of organic and brutal songs. The recording is probably one of the best in the band’s discography.

Through its short length of twenty-one minutes, Undergang showcases fast and brutal paces. The seven tracks are visceral with great variation in the riffing structure. While the previous releases mostly followed the same formula, ‘De Syv Stadier Af Fordærv’ firmly incorporates an old-school mixture of Swedish death metal. The opening track ‘Død’ hits you with a slab of crowbar in the face where the filthy distorted riffs inject an extreme dose of gore grind death metal brutality. The guttural growls create a rotten atmosphere and are soaked with thick layers of bass guitar. The drums are overwhelmingly fast and versatile that shows the coherent level of the band.

The guitars have been fortified with an immense tone as they provide a constant barrage in the following track “Mælkehvid og gennemsigtigt” and the vicious attack of the dual growls and snarls seeps through the outbursts of the bulldozing drums that take up the d-beat rampage. The guitars midway through the song steer into the slow doomy territory with the drums providing a powerful effect for a gloomy backdrop. Eschewing the modern bullshit gimmicks Undergang’s songwriting stands out for the notable changes in the composition which shows their refined skills of blending d-beat and blast beats with low guttural grunts. The dynamics are complex and in constant change as each track incorporates plenty of rotten riffs to exude a grimy atmosphere.

The drumming patterns are pummeling through brutal beats. ‘Livløs I en pøl af egne udskillelser’ is the longest track in the E.P. where Undergang emphasizes the HM-2 method of old-school death metal. The riffing on this track oozes a rotten sound that moves through brutal tempos, though almost every song has a groovy feel to it. The songwriting evolution is fulfilled with great skill, talent and showing the ability to sound better with each studio recording.

While the riffing is often laden with tremolos and slow doom passages which enhance the atmosphere, ‘Dødsstivhed’ is soaked in somber doom moments. This shows the sporadic intensity of the riffing that organically shuffles through various tempos. Undergang mixes plenty of elements: the churning guitar riffs, tremolos and abrasive drumming is nothing short of brutal. ‘Misfarvning af liget’ offers a compositional genius that pushes dynamics in rapid tempos, ‘De Syv Stadier Af Fordærv’ really shines  in the riff-craft, making it one of Undergang’s best releases to date.

Although the old-school brutality stands as the most gripping factor of how the Danish squad tackles its rotten style of death metal, the grinding drums yield an impenetrable wall of sound where the low grunts become infused with the chunky riffing on tracks like ‘Forrådnelse’ and the closing one-minute track ‘Skeletisering’. The distorted bass guitar provides a dense sound that makes it insuperable. The riffing always shifts from grooves to fast-paced tempos. The dense crude riffing has a powerful churning effect that is encased with grinding blast beats to suit the brutal aesthetics of the band.

 

 

REVIEW SCORE

  • Music / Songwriting 9/10
  • Vocals / Lyrics 9/10
  • Mix / Production 9/10
  • Artwork & Packaging 8/10
  • Originality 9/10
8.8

‘De Syv Stadier Af Fordærv’ is an absolute staple release in the band’s discography. This is how old-school death metal should sound and therefore comes highly recommended!

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