Undeath belong to that new wave of American bands who, since the turn of the 2020s, have brought old-school death metal back into fashion. The Rochester quintet do not claim to revolutionise the genre: they celebrate its founding codes with a fervour and efficiency that carry conviction. It’s Time… to Rise from the Grave, hailed by the critics (an 82 average across nine reviews), offers a rejoicing demonstration of it.
Everything here breathes love of the death metal of the origins: the meaty riffs inherited from Cannibal Corpse and Dismember, the cavernous growls, the gore and putrid imagery embraced with a sense of tongue-in-cheek. Undeath do not take themselves seriously, and it is precisely that absence of pretension that makes the record so contagious.
Musically, the band shine through their sense of the unstoppable riff and the efficient structure. The tracks, short and direct, go to the essential: energy, groove, the immediate pleasure of the headbang. The thick, powerful production gives the guitars a rejoicing mass. This is death metal made for the stage, for the pit, for the macabre party.
Originality, it will be understood, is not the record’s strong suit: Undeath recycle a heritage without adding much new, and purists in search of innovation will be left wanting. But the execution is so joyful that one readily forgives this lack of audacity.
Verdict: 8/10. A pure-juice death-metal record, unpretentious and terribly effective. Proof that the genre’s new guard is doing splendidly.
