Ur Draugr are a metal band from Perth, Australia with a penchant for the progressive and somewhat avantgarde side of extreme metal. Coming fresh off of the success of last year's The Wretched Ascetic, we now bear witness to the behemoth that is With Hunger Undying. The concept and the (gorgeous) artwork was designed by oil painter Jess Christensen and "handles the ascent to civilization through agriculture, and the subsequent cessation of nomadism, the sinister concentration of religious and political power that has inevitably followed."
The first thing that strikes me here is the drumming. I hear (and I'm no expert) lots of jazz influence, particularly in the softer bits. There are a number of unusual technical patterns on display that go well beyond the average expectation. This is apparent from the early moments of opening track, "Fertile Crescent," which goes through a number of styles in it's 8+ minutes that the skins navigate with aplomb.
Then there's the heavily blackened guitars to consider. Expect lots of tremolo and minor scale picking mixed with proggy transitions. "Seeds Sown In Famine" has a pleasantly weird start-stop pattern to these chords like a giant puttering machine struggling to maintain momentum. There's sometimes a slightly doomy feel to the notes on this one as well. It's all very atmospheric with a good mixture of beauty and the extreme.
Speaking of beauty, in addition to the brief additions throughout compositions and the synths on Enslavedish "With Hunger Undying," there is a lovely classical acoustic arrangement that takes a break from the madness. This helps to further offest tracks like "Rise Of The Thaumaturge" which sounds like a swarm of locusts led by the death growled commands of some malicious, hooded entity. A few of these insect riffs pop up between the more traditional black metal techniques heard on other releases this year like A Blaze of Perdition.
Wrapping things up, those vocals seem to get more insatiably viscous as the album wears on. This is not a whisper to a growl... it's more like a growl to bloodthirsty roar. They strike that perfect balance between blackened grimness and the gutteral qualities of death metal. All around, great stuff and a solid release for those looking for something a little differet in 2015. With Hunger Undying comes out officially in all formats on 12/7/16.