We’ve already told you a few weeks ago about Underdark‘s excellent Our Bodies Burned Bright on Re-entry. In case you’ve forgotten (and that’s OK, there’s a lot going on in all of our lives right now), the album is a manifestation of the rage and dejection at the base of black metal, funneling it through the band’s radical, left-wing politics. It also rules musically, relying on the fundamentals of excellent black metal to propel the band’s sound forward with aggression and force. And what is more fundamental to black metal than the fast, abrasive riff? Not much; the sawing guitar, the hold and release of powerful chords, is one of the linchpins of black metal’s sound. Showcasing their mastery of this tool, Underdark have recorded a playthrough videos of one of the album’s most aggressive and high-octane tracks on the album, “With Ashen Hands Around Our Throats”. Head on down below to check it out and we’ll rendezvous after.
Blimey, or whatever it is they say over there on “the Isles”! While the track has a very atmospheric and more quiet passage somewhere around the three quarters mark, most of it is made up of this slab of a riff. It consistently keeps the track moving forward, piercing through the mix to dominate its sound. The vocals are, of course, the second half of the track’s core, abrasive and flamboyant over the riff’s core thrust. There’s this sensation of the track pulling you forward by the nose, constantly reeling you in with the guitar and vocal combo. Indeed, this appears to be Underdark’s intention with this one. Comments Adam, one of the guitarists for the band:
Our 4th track came to be as Ollie was warming up and not really paying much attention to what he was playing, and it caught our ears to form what was to become the opening riff of the song. The majority of the track is based around this riff, which we feel adds to the overall flow. It was our intention to create a relentless driving piece that increases in intensity throughout. Inevitably at its peak, the natural progression was to bring the whole thing down for a breather and to set up the clean section, to create a moment for recovery and reflection into the finale of the track.
If you like what you hear, and there’s plenty more of that good stuff on the album itself, you can head on over here for the myriad options to purchase the album.