UNDERGANG De syv stadier af fordærv CD

Undergang is a well respected death metal band from the Danish underground with quite a handful of releases under their belt. This EP is their latest, and is yet another incredibly solid addition to their discography. Undergang is a band that does not make masterpieces, but they have not made anything bad or mediocre yet. Their bar is set relatively high, and they live up to that standard with every release, producing some pretty good death metal. De Syv Stadier af Fordærv is an EP that revolves around the decomposition of a corpse, each song representing a different stage in the process, and the music fits this perfectly. The grimy production gives the EP a particularly filthy sound, which feels just as rotting as the corpse described in the lyrics. The guitar tone is crunchy, reminiscent of something like the tone found on Dismember’s debut, which gives the guitars a lot more bite. The vocals however, are what drives the sound home, being a combination of gurgles and a vocal technique that sounds almost like a cat purring, just more slimy. These two facets of the vocals are often also layered on top of eachother, just adding even more to the grime factor. The riffs are grinding as well, with the drumming having clear punk influences at times, which makes the EP feel like a full frontal attack throughout most of it. Some tracks however lean in the other direction and are more focused on atmosphere and melody, with songs such as ‘Livløs i en pøl af egne udskillelser’ and ‘Dødsstivhed’ being clear examples of this. The latter of which also has the most disgusting vocal performance on the entire EP, the vocalist just sounds as if he is regurgitating the deepest depths of his stomach into the microphone. Undergang once again proves their status as one of the most consistent death metal acts within the genre, with yet another incredibly solid release. The concept is absolutely perfect, and the music provides a great canvas for the lyrical themes, sounding just as rotten and decomposing as what the lyrics tell of. Highlight tracks: Død, Livløs i en pøl af egne udskillelser, Forrådnelse. Releasd by Dark Descent Records.