optisailor2002 Undergang's debut release Indhentet af Døden hit me like a fucking wall of concrete when it was first released back in 2010, with the crushing sound that the band giving the listener the feeling as though the band were intent on leaving no survivors by the end of the album. This year sees the band unleashing their second full length album, Til Døden os Skiller, complete with that same sick style of artwork that their debut had, and naturally, hopes are extremely high for this one.

And as expected, right from the opening track Opløste Ådsler the band is merciless. The soft intro is but a false facade behind which the band hides, and the lone guitar that soon comes in is a sign for the listener to brace for the incoming impact. Following the style that the band has set on Indhentet af Døden, the music on Til Døden os Skiller is not particularly fast, though the band focusses on the intensity in the music, not only in terms of the heavy and crushing guitar tone and riffs, but also through that suffocating atmosphere that they have managed to conjure which is maintained throughout the entirety of the album. The constant alternation between faster and the sudden transition into a slow and doom-paced section without warning also leaves a deep impact on the listener, leaving the listener feeling as though being hung from a cliff, such as on tracks like Håbet Er Ligblegt. Also, unlike many of their death metal counterparts, the focus on Til Døden os Skiller is on the riffs, with the noticeable lack of lead sections on any of the instruments, and this also helps in allowing the band's tightness as a unit shine.

There are some tweaks that the band has included compared to their debut Indhentet af Døden though, with one prominent difference being the inclusion of numerous sound samples that are littered throughout the album, giving the album a somewhat horror/gore film feel with a storyline that one wish he could understand (pardon the language barrier here). Perhaps due to the inclusion of these sound samples, Til Døden os Skiller has a considerably longer runtime than Indhentet af Døden. This release also sees the band pushing their limits as musicians even further. For example, it still leaves me wondering how David Torturdöd manages to produce those hellish vocals while unleashing those brutal-as-fuck riffs at the same time. The band has this time also included a twist towards the end of the album, with closing track Kadavermarch being an instrumental, slowly fading out into an acoustic section, bringing about an odd sense of calm in the listener after an intensive 45 minute journey.

If you like bands like Cemetery Urn and Ignivomous but wished that they somehow managed to produce a heavier sounding record, then be sure to check out Undergang. Fuck technical wankery and flamboyant showing off, Undergang will show listeners what brutality really is.

Originally written for http://www.heavymetaltribune.com/