Undeath are here to stay, and we’re all better people because of it.

More Insane (Prosthetic Records) is certainly an on-the-nose title for a record that absolutely lives up to its moniker. 

Not only is it a full-length that is attuned to the modern landscape in terms of length (ten songs, thirty-four minutes), it also (further) shows the lads from New York know what they’re doing and how to do it.

Wasting no time, opener “Bones Clattering In The Cave” features a nearly minute-long intro rife with grimy, dusty riffing. Boisterous, full-bodied harshes instill an aggression that is tempered by effective pacing throughout. Also worth mentioning in the stankface guitar work at its finest.

“Brandish The Blade” might shock listeners at first with its radio friendly-sounding intro sequences, but screams quickly allay any anxiety about what direction Undeath is going in. A gnarly “uyyegh!” kickstarts “Cramped Caskets (Necrology).”

The title track allows for a wobbly bass that contributes to the unease and angst of the record. There are also some groovy undertones interspersed with bombastic drum crashes and patented spiral, grungy Death Metal tones (“Dead From Beyond”). 

And then there’s “Disputatious Malignancy” (which has to be a Slam Metal band name in the future, if it’s not already). Surgical mixing and instrumental arrangements set the scene, allowing for speedy and mesmeric soloing. 

The third record of the band’s catalog, More Insane demonstrates Undeath’s ability to craft a slaughterfest of a Death Metal album while also featuring either new wrinkles or subtle intricacies that further fuel the desire to hear more of what they have to offer. 

It never feels like the band is doing something that isn’t genuinely them. On the contrary, though, if whatever is insaner down the road includes never-before-tried techniques or compositional choices, Undeath are more than suited to make it work.

Buy the album here:
https://amzn.to/3ZOF8kY

8 / 10
MATT COOK
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