ALBUM REVIEW: It’s Time… To Rise From The Grave – Undeath

The death metal resurgence is showing no signs of slowing down with bands in every nook and cranny of our pale blue dot emerging from the abyss with a bludgeoning arsenal of aural brutality. With the scene becoming increasingly overpopulated, the challenge to really stand out from the crowd is a gargantuan task and in the case of UNDEATH, they are one such band that are poised to become a driving force in the genre’s continued resurgence. After 2020’s Lesions Of A Different Kind catapulted the band into the extreme metal spotlight (also claiming the throne of Prosthetic Records‘ most pre-ordered LP in their history), the band are back with another bout of brutality; It’s Time… To Rise From The Grave.

Rather than use their well-established hype to branch out and throw some curveballs into the mix, It’s… To Rise From The Grave sees UNDEATH double down on their blend of brutal death metal and the results are simply emphatic. Opener Field Of Corpses flies out of the gate with a mid-tempo groove that CANNIBAL CORPSE would be proud of as guitarists Kyle Beam and Jared Welch drop riffs with the utmost aplomb and vocalist Alexander Jones does more than an admirable job of leading the line with bout after bout of guttural vocals. As far as opening salvoes goes, it’s very much business as usual from UNDEATH.

From there, the band continue to showcase just why they are considered one of the bright lights of the modern death metal era. Defiled Again is arguably one of the more catchier numbers in UNDEATH‘s repertoire as slamming riffs combine with an utterly infectious earworm of a chorus where Jones really shines as a vocalist, Rise From The Grave is a snappy number where the high-octane riffing really gets the head banging and boasts a truly wicked solo, whilst Necrobionics is a sheer death metal anthem in the making thanks to its infectious grooves and brutal edge that bleeds throughout the track.

Indeed, UNDEATH live and breath death metal. That much is clear throughout It’s Time… To Rise From The Grave. The second half of the record keeps up the bludgeoning that was established from the opening salvo and the tenacity of the band is nothing short of impressive. Enhancing The Dead twists and turns with deadly malice, Head Splattered In Seven Ways more than lives up its namesake with a cacophony of blistering riffs and guttural snarls that will leave you head… well, splattered and a proper inspired Alex Webster-worshipping bass riff is a nice touch to the band’s clear influences.

Even in its closing stages, UNDEATH refuse to loosen the throttle. Human Chandelier boasts some of the most aggressive beatdown moments on the entire record as Beam and Welch really hold nothing back, Bone Wrought is a musical maelstrom as the riffs twist, contort and bend around Jones‘ expected savage vocal deliveries and album closer Trampled Headstones closes the record just as it began; with a thundering display of sublime death metal.

UNDEATH won’t revolutionise death metal but that was never their intent. As the genre continues to enjoy a resurgence thanks to the refocus towards the old-school approach, the climate has never been more suited for a band of their stature to command and conquer. With It’s Time… To Rise From The Grave, UNDEATH have spawned a worthy follow-up to their impressive debut and showcase just why they are considered one of the torchbearers for the next generation of death metal.

Rating: 9/10

It’s Time… To Rise From The Grave is set for release on April 22nd via Prosthetic Records.

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