Time Signature Dead human flesh...

Genre: death-thrash

Hailed as one of the most important death metal bands to come out of Chile, Undercroft return to the limelight with their first full-length in six years.

To be honest, the album sounds more like death-thrash to my ears than pure death metal, but that is a minor issue, as it is, at the end of the day, the quality of the music itself that counts. And, indeed, I think we are dealing with very good metal music here.

Drawing on death metal, the album has the characteristic brutal crunchy sound of death metal, and there are several both old school death metal elements and more brutal bastbeat-based ones, as heard in 'Legions of Beelzebub', for instance. But the core of the music on this album is the groove, and, boy, what grooves these Chileans can produce. I mean, they are heavy and they are crushing, and, in addition, there are some pretty moshing-inspiring midtempo thrash riffs on this album; just check out the massive track 'The Art of Vengeance' or the kick-ass grooves in 'Empalando al Invasor'.

The vocals are not really growled but more on the hard hardcore vocals side (not unlike what you hear on Entombed's legendary "Wolverine Blues"), and it suits the groove-tinged death-thrash on this album perfectly.

If you're into death-thrash which is based on crushing riffs and which takes the best of groove metal, then Undercroft's comeback should be right up your alley.

(review also posted at seaoftranquility.org)