November 2020 Feature Release - The Horde Edition

It's now November which of course means that we'll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we're asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. We're really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on our chosen releases so don't be shy.

This month's feature release for The Horde is the brand new album from New York death metallers Undeath (entitled "Lesions Of A Different Kind") which is currently making waves of the underground scene. 

Ben, can you please add Undeath to the site so I can link the release?

This be some murky shit right here!  Elements of Bolt Thrower, Incantation and Finnish death metal with a clarity to the riffing not often heard in this gloomier style of death metal.  Don't be put off by the artwork (the drummer did it - but he's much better at drumming) as the actual album content is nowhere near as amateur.  Review to follow at some point.

To be completely honest, within 30 seconds of the opening track I was thinking to myself "This will totally be Vinny's bag. I'll have to recommend it to him." And that was actually why I ended up choosing it for the November feature release in all honesty. Here's my thoughts on it:

Let's just get this out of the way early & say don't go into "Lesions Of A Different Kind" expecting something fresh or new because you'll be sorely disappointed. This is pure old school death metal worship with Incantation & Immolation being the two names that immediately spring to mind. "Lesions Of A Different Kind" is a dark, dank, swampy, swarming mass of disgust with those definitively deep vocals that the style has built its reputation on & a bassy guitar sound that's tuned down so far you can feel the strings vibrating in your gut. In fact, you won't be able to distinguish the vocal delivery from that of the band's I've just mentioned & the guitar tone has got a similar feel to Morbid Angel's 7-string efforts on "Covenant" & "Domination" only it's less precise in its execution. I also pick up a bit of 1989-91 Carcass influence at various times & the drumming is certainly influenced by Cannibal Corpse's Paul Mazurkiewicz.

In terms of quality, this is mostly all good shit for an old school death metal fan like myself. I think the opening track "Suitably Hacked to Gore" was a poor choice to kick off proceedings though as it's the only track that I don't have time for. I'd be lying if I said the "heard-it-all-before" nature of this album doesn''t limit its scoring potential but for the most part it's done almost as well as the records that influenced it so don't let that put you off. I think Undeath are at their best when they're at the lower end of the tempo range (particularly when utilizing double-time ride-cymbal work) & when they start to think up-tempo their appeal wanes just a touch. Overall "Lesions Of A Different Kind" is a very solid if unashamedly meat-&-potatoes death metal release that should appeal to most fans of the genre. 

4/5

Review done and I will go on record as saying how much I love this.  Aside from the fact that it worships the living shit out of the genre, it transcends just being fanboy regurgitation of old-school death metal by simply being so fucking well done.  These guys know their death metal and it shows.  They had me convinced on more than one occasion that they had been at this for years together because that's how tight they sound.  Very well-informed death metal and you can hear it.

4/5

I have to thank you once again Daniel for recommending some modern metal in the featured clan challenges. It is a great reason for me to explore places I don't necessarily visit. Such as mid 90s tecch death circa Immolation/Cannibal Corpse. And while I will admit that it certainly isn't my cup of tea, there is a lot of promise that someone who really appreciates that sound will enjoy more than myself. This is some clean sounding death metal; some of the best I've heard in years. However, the compositions are pretty jarring in their transitions. Also, the lack of guitar/bass independence makes for some pretty uneventful instrumentals throughout.

In addition, the general consensus surrounding this album is that it's "not really reinventing the wheel". I don't mind worship of a time once passed, but if their is nothing that distinguishes it from those early Immolation and Cannibal Corpse records, why would I not just listen to those instead? Undeath needs to do... something to make them stand out in the future. Otherwise, bands like Tomb Mold will run circles around them.

6/10