What on earth do we have here? I go wandering off into the prog and psych wilderness for a few days, only to be greeted by the latest OSDM trendsetters, Undeath. 72 hours ago, I had no idea who these guys were. Most probably didn’t. And now, seemingly overnight, their debut full length, Lesions of a Different Kind is being universally praised as the “album of the year”. I’ve even read some comments labelling it the greatest death metal album since Morbid Angel’s Covenant (1993). Excuse me?
Taking all of this hype into account, it was hard to go into Lesions without some sort of bias or expectations. It was even harder to ignore said hype, considering its been flooding my feed for days now. Not that it’s a bad thing. I’ll take people raving about the latest death metal flavor of the day over the endless doom and gloom regarding the world’s current state of affairs.
Every OSDM revival band has their niche. Undeath’s music is rooted in the age old philosophy that slow and steady wins the race. I’m not talking the tortured Cianide brand of death/doom that’s been explored by the likes of Fetid and Mortiferum. I’m talking about slow to mid tempo death metal with an emphasis on brutal riffs. I hear lots of Cannibal Corpse influences throughout, as well as elements of slam, yet without fully crossing the threshold into slam territory.
The riffs to the title track, “Lord of the Grave”, and my choice cut, “Acidic Twilight Visions”, are menacing monsters that tear through town like Godzilla. They’re hooky, groovy, and hit harder than a Monday morning hangover. The riffs are Undeath’s meat and potatoes, but there are other musical elements that fully flesh out their sound. Drummer Matt Browning has a distinct Dave Lombardo flair to his playing, specifically on “Suitably Hacked to Gore” and “Archfiend Coerceion Method”. There are also sporadic bursts of technical wizardry akin to Demilich and Timeghoul. Like Demilich and Timeghoul, these brief musical clinics never take precedent over the riffs which are first and foremost.
So where does Lesions fall within the 35 year history of death metal? How does it measure up to the greats that came before them? Well it’s no Covenant. I don’t know what you’re all smoking to think such a thing, but whatever it is, I’d love to have some. No, Lesions is its own thing. It’s a strong opening statement from a band who I think can do even better in the years to come. With the right focus and determination, Undeath could become the next death metal band to pack 1,000 capacity venues on their own. After all, who will be there to brutalize the masses once Cannibal Corpse calls it a day? The answer may be right here.
7 out of 10
Label: Prosthetic Records
Genre: Death Metal
For fans of: Cannibal Corpse, Demilich, Sanguisugabogg