Undeath: Death Metal Purists
UNDEATH are gearing up to release their debut LP Lesions, after putting out two demo EPs in 2019. As their first studio-recorded album the anticipation is high, with critics and fans alike expecting a big step up with the extra production quality. Not only have they built anticipation through their demos, but with the star-power of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER’s Trevor Strnad lending his legendary voice to the title track, it is clear that Lesions Of A Different Kind is shaping up to be something special.
As guitarist Kyle Beam revealed, not only is he guesting on this record but “Trevor was one of our first fans, it only really made sense for us to ask him to guest on a track. If there was anything to be learned it’s that Trevor is an extremely humble dude. We were honoured he graciously said yes.”
It’s clear from the very first listen that UNDEATH are hugely inspired by old school death metal bands such as DEATH and early CANNIBAL CORPSE, and Beam wonders “why did killer death metal in the original vein stop getting made?” He went on to describe their sound as “we aren’t trying to change the circle into a square, just trying to make the circle roll more efficiently.” Not only that, but now after working on a full-length record the band have finally found their signature sound – and make that circle roll more efficiently than ever.“ After finishing the writing for this LP I think I’ve really identified the directions in which the newer material will go, and in that sense I think we’ve found our groove now.”
Album artwork is usually an indicator of what sort of audio the listener is about to be exposed to and Lesions Of A Different Kind is no different. A horrific, brutal melting mound of what looks like flesh and two bodies adorns the front cover, doing far more than just hinting at the brutality that lies within. Beam explained that, “we try to have a killer, self-referential cover for every release. Because the cover is related to the songs, and the songs are intense, the cover needs to and naturally has a palpable intensity.” One thing the artwork, and indeed the album as a whole has plenty of is intensity, and just like it pummels your ears with riffs, so does it attack your eyes with a whole realm of abhorrence.
Just like every other band in the world, UNDEATH have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic which has essentially shut down live music. Beam reflects on what’s happened to them, saying that they were hit “probably about the same as anyone else. Tours cancelled, missed opportunities, having to figure out how to get yourself out there without conventional methods like playing live.” This has meant that bands have had to look into more unconventional methods of getting themselves out there, and when asked about the potential for an UNDEATH livestream, Beam simply said “keep an eye out for that.” The one minor positive however for the band that has come from this is that “I’ve had a ton of time to work on UNDEATH LP2 which has begun to take shape and rear its ugly head.” So perhaps we’ll be able to hear that a lot sooner than originally expected.
Whilst it is a difficult time to release a record, UNDEATH have clearly put their all into this record, and Beam is excited for it to go out into the world. When asked what the first thing he’d want to do when things happen again he responded that “we would absolutely kill to get on the road as soon as possible. Whenever that time comes in the US we will be there.” Hopefully that time will come in the UK soon too, and UNDEATH can grace our shores with the brutality of Lesions Of A Different Kind.
Lesions Of A Different Kind is out now via Prosthetic Records.
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