Undergang has made a name for themselves over the past twelve years by writing some of the filthiest and dense sounding death metal possible, taking a familiar yet effective songwriting approach that was destructive from beginning to end. Since Misantropologi came out in 2017 the Danish band has been through a few changes, gaining a new bassist and second guitarist, and it’s clear that this has added a new dimension to their sound on new effort Aldrig i livet. While the group certainly hasn’t lost any of their grossness or sheer heaviness, there are additional layers to their songs and even a hint of melody at times that push their ideas to a new level.
What’s always worked to Undergang’s advantage is the variants of old-school death metal they’ve taken influence from. Their sound has always been focused on grime, dense riffing, and a nice mix of faster tempos and some slower doomier moments, putting them somewhere between Autopsy and Demilich with some death/doom and goregrind for good measure. The band hasn’t strayed too far from these roots on Aldrig i livet but there are even more layers than before and the openings of “Rødt dødt kød” and the title track let some melody and thick atmosphere seep in that give off even more of a death/doom feel than before. These types of small tweaks are noticeable throughout the album, and it’s obvious that adding a second guitarist into the mix has made Undergang able to vary their attack more than ever before. While their past albums have left a strong impression with their sludgy, grime soaked sound and crushing intensity, some of the material tended to blur together from one song to the next and that isn’t the case here. The production values help in this regard as well, as every note is still dripping with filth and the low-end rumbles with the force of a bulldozer, but there’s just a slight bit of clarity that makes the details a bit more decipherable. Whether it’s the slow break that changes the tempo to a zombie lurch on “Indtørret” or the very spooky melody and monstrous vocals on “Usømmelig omgang med lig”, there are a lot of small details that stick with you upon repeat listens and make this material worth coming back to frequently.
The vocals have been one of the elements that have made Undergang distinguishable over the years, and that’s still the case throughout Aldrig I livet. David Torturdød’s vocals remain as gurgled and inhuman as possible, with Mads Haarløv now providing some back-ups that add some variety to the performance. For those who are newer to the group, you can expect extremely deep and distorted growls and screams that are reminiscent at times of Antti Boman from Demilich as well as early goregrind vocalists, and there’s all sorts of horrifying pitches and phlegm ridden passages that up the gore and ick factor. It may still prove to be an acquired taste for some listeners, but for those like me who can’t get enough of these extreme aspects of the genre Undergang are still up there with some of the best.
For me Undergang has been consistent in their approach and always a fun band to listen to on record and in a live setting, but their material has never quite been a contender for best of year. With Aldrig i livet that has changed, as the filthy and murky tone is still there but the individual songs and riffs stand out more than ever before. The expanded lineup has allowed the group to switch things up slightly without losing the foundation that drew fans to their music in the first place, and it’s going to be a hard call between this and Necrot for some of the best death metal 2020 has to offer. Aldrig i livet is available from Dark Descent Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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