You know, some time ago we covered a band that somewhat overdid it in so many ways. One part of their sins was a totally overwrought interpretation of Death Metal. The RMR crew opined at that time that we occasionally love ourselves a good gurgle. But – of course – this must be done with mastery or all that phlegm-filled depravity will not be worth it. And since that time we scouted the vast Death Metal universe for just THAT band.
Luckily, Undergang just came along with a short blurb. De syv stadier af fordærv they called their concoction. And as we don’t speak Danish,1 we wouldn’t know what they say. Not that one can discern anything in a good Death Metal piece anyway. So, never worry.
Thus, here we find ourselves straight in the real underground. Well-measured swampy brutality that sails our way on putrescent waves that ain’t water. Thrashy moments break down into pure Death Metal with exactly those liquid growls we were looking for. The underground folks @ RMR were quite smitten with the often multilayered snarls, burbs, and liquified roars. The record contains none of that overdone theater, this is real mastery. And then, suddenly, you’ll face a stellar solo that feels like a rusty nail driven into your skull. Ah, that rotten feeling of vile rawness. Or sudden confusion, that feeling when – what – some sort of Jazz from the underworld makes its appearance. By the Dark Lord, that’s a good one. We can’t shake that vision of rotten corpses hitting the strings in one of them upper-class clubs.
So, ultimately, De syv stadier af fordærv artfully links stylish diversity with ferocious sludgy Death Metal geekery. Pus-filled Neanderthal putrescence meets artsy musical prowess. You can’t make that stuff up.
And we loved every minute of it.
Ed’s note: More DM underground? Try Fossilization.
Label: Dark Descent Records | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 1 September 2023
- Some over here can handle some Dutch, but double-Dutch we can’t. That’s next-level Nordic geekery. -Ed.-↩