Band:	Undergang
Album:	Aldrig I Livet
Style:	Death metal
Release date:	December 04, 2020
A review by:	RaduP

01. Præfluidum
02. Spontan Bakteriel Selvantændelse
03. Indtørret Lig
04. Menneskeæder
05. Ufrivillig Donation
06. Sygelige Nydelser (Del III) Emetofili
07. Usømmelig Omgang Med Lig
08. Aldrig I Livet
09. Rødt Dødt Kød

My death metal moratorium is over. Time for filthy riffs.

I'm not gonna dive into 2021 death metal yet, since I haven't listened to anything worthwhile yet, but late 2020 did hit with two really hard-hitting death metal albums back when I was feeling my death metal fatigue back then, so I decided not to cram any more death metal reviews for a while, especially since I kinda self-imposed a moratorium for the rest of the year, one that I only broke for something that's more free jazz than death metal anyway. The year has passed. I was done with the rest of the hanging 2020 reviews, so it made sense to come back to those and try to do them justice. Let's start with Undergang.

Being around for more than a decade, Undergang aren't really newcomers to the scene, but 2017's Misantropologi brought their Demilich meets Obituary sound to larger audiences. The Danish quartet added a second guitarist, changed its bassist, and embarked upon following that album up with Aldrig I Livet (Danish for "Never in my life"). By this point you probably realized that this is an OSDM album and there probably isn't that much original within it, but to me it still feels refreshing to hear something take from Carcass' Symphonies Of Sickness instead of from the Swedish scene, and to combine it with the Floridan and Finnish sound, and nothing made later than 1992.

The two guitars do lead to more moments of weirdly melodious riffs, without ever bordering on melodeath. Undergang also takes cues from death metal's first forays into doom metal, mostly in the shape of Autopsy influences, but the doom metal leanings are pretty streamlined and only enhance the oomph of the songs by adding its fair share of more patient paces. Aldrig I Livet is really the kind of death metal album that can thrive even without pushing the throttle. Lumbering, filthy, slimy, everything that makes a death metal album make you wanna take a shower. It's like those vocals really leave some slime and puke on you. Maybe some blood too. This is "ugh" death metal.

Also in case you recognized the vocals from somewhere, it seems that David Torturdød also does vocals for Phrenelith and Hyperdontia, so pretty much for every contemporary Danish death metal band I can name off the top of my head.