Undeath – It’s Time… To Rise From the Grave (Review)

2020 and the world is stuck in a global pandemic. Everything sucks. No concerts, no festivals, but some very strong Death Metal albums were released this year. Lesions of a Different Kind by Undeath is definitely one of them! Hardly any band has generated as much hype with their debut as those guys from Rochester, New York. Two years have passed since then and Undeath have more than used them. On April 22nd, the second album It’s Time…to Rise from the Grave was already released via Prosthetic Records. What can I say? If you are in the mood for disgusting Death Metal, you will definitely get your money’s worth. No intro, no gimmicks but a punch directly in the face.

At least that’s how the first song “Fiend for Corpses” feels. The vocals of Alexander Jones sound a lot like a young Frank Mullen. Not only vocally, but also the guitar riffs confirm the great Suffocation influence. If you liked the solos on Lesions of a Different Kind, you will love this record. Everything feels much better produced and more brutal than on the predecessor. “Defiled Again” is very formative for the sound of the album. The best way to compare this is with the slow intro of Cannibal Corpse – Scourge of Iron. At least the concept of Undeath always reminds me of this song.

The title track, however, is very catchy and literally burns itself into your ear canal through the chorus . In some places this seems almost melodic for Undeath. “Human Chandelier” has similar structures, at least it’s just as catchy as “It’s Time…to Rise from the Grave” – until you get pounded by a massive slam part at the end, which neither Dying Fetus nor Suffocation couldn’t write better. “The Funeral Within” and “Head Splattered in Seven Ways” perfectly show how Undeath unite both the Barnes and Fisher Cannibal Corpse eras in their music – even if Chris Barnes will probably not like to hear this. I really enjoyed the short moments when the bass is allowed to shine on both tracks. There should be more of that on the next album, please.

The quintet knows exactly that their music will not reinvent the wheel. On the contrary, I love the whole 90s Death Metal charm. The lyrics alone capture this nostalgia perfectly. I mean, how brutal do these lines sound?

“Beginning with a corpse and ending with Machine, augmenting through butchery Cities of life, now cities of the dead, Bolster the undead army.”

It’s like looking into the deepest abysses of the human soul when reading these lyrics. Lesions of a Different Kind was already a very strong debut for me. It’s Time…to Rise from the Grave is a more than worthy successor. If you are looking for a strong AOTY contender, you will get your money’s worth here. The sky it the limit for the boys from Rochester next to bands like Frozen Soul and Gatecreeper. Even if Chris Barnes may see this differently.