Label - Surviving Sounds (UK), Through Love Records (EU) and Tridroid Records (US/CAN)
Release date- 30th July 2021
The saying goes ‘You can have too much of a good thing’. Currently, British metal acts are putting out an obscene amount of top-quality material in what seems like an endless conveyor belt of astonishing music. When it comes to these outputs, there is never too much of a good thing.
UK anti-fascist black metallers Underdark are no exception. Their debut album ‘Our Bodies Burned Bright on Re-entry’ is set to be unleashed to the world on July 30th. Incorporating a mix of BM, post-metal and shoegaze, this album is a ferocious, intense piece of art.
On opening track 'Qeres', a somber spoken intro is backed up with luscious guitar passages to lure you in to a false sense of relaxation until vocalist Abi unleashes a torrent of vocal carnage. A template of black metal is certainly in use here but the hints of shoegaze are evident for all to hear.
The title track is, quite frankly, a stunning piece of work. A superb black metal showcase of blast beats and guitars that rip through at 100mph. Also anger, so much anger is felt throughout, it’s almost like you are being physically shaken. At over 8 minutes long, it’s not until the halfway mark that you can come up for air. A move into the shoegaze element of a mellow, atmospheric passage follows until harsh lyrics suck you into a sort of trance. It then comes full circle with heavier elements.
Vocally, Abi puts in an absolutely stellar performance on this release. Rasping snarls to guttural roars, every breath is used to spit out the lyrics and elevate the music. Lyrically the album covers issues such as addiction, inhumane border control and the exploitation of lower classes.
Every member of Underdark brings their well-honed skills to this record. The drumming is well thought out with fills added in when warranted, and not overloading the complexity. The guitars and bass add a superb intensity to support the vocal message of a world that, even before covid, was starting to show the cracks.
This band has a lot to say. The music is the vessel to transport the message and does so with aplomb. Dreamy at times, brutal at others it carries an important memorandum about the state of the world. Hell, if you could take this album and drop it on the speakers in the house of commons, the government would take note!
This album is not for the feint hearted; it can be a challenging listen at times. However, if you invest the time in this five-track debut you will find a band who are rising up through the underground scene, and deservedly so.
8/10
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