Undercover, Underdark.
So, my friends here is a band new to me and I was instantly attracted to reviewing this album because of the title. It is called ‘Our Bodies Burn Brighter On Re-Entry’ and I find it exhilarating, complex and innovative all in one mouthful. I can’t catch my breath since lockdowns began with the immense and bountiful array of releases, hats off to all the bands that have been tireless in their efforts.
This record is the first full length offering, the last being an EP ‘Mourning Cloak’ five years ago. It can seem like a long time between releases but when you are dealing with the most tragic and inhumane circumstances that occur, it can be extremely difficult to process, and express in a creative manner. A cruel world offers many choices for artists of whatever medium, sorrow, loss, pain and death are all destructive and yet have a way of asserting their presence so we can capture some flicker of hope and positivity, however that may present itself. ‘Qeres’ begins this spine-tingling quest into the waking nightmare we find ourselves in. The engaging words reel you in ‘I’ve seen you live through this before’ hopes to provide that strength that we fall short of in times of dire stress and inconsolable agony.
The title track focuses on addiction, self-harm and the horror they bring, graphically described here, of course these subjects have been dealt with before, the music industry is not immune to them, but the message is an important one and still needs to be addressed. The lyric ‘could you hold my hands until they stop shaking’ is cutting and penetrates incisively, to sit with the afflicted is indeed a noble and selfless act. The vocals provided by Abi, are very Dani Filth in technique, switching between the growls and screeches effortlessly. The rest of the band are Stephen- bass, Dan- drums, Ollie -guitars, and Adam on guitar, who make for an extremely relevant and vital outfit.
Midway through and we have ‘Coyotes’ dealing with the delicate topic of borders, namely the USA/Mexico crisis and the treatment of refugees. I get a sense of Woody Guthrie’s song ‘This land is my land, this land is your land, this land was made for you and me’ it is rudimentary in its concept, yet it is an idea that is alien to those in power.
Returning to our own shores we have ‘With Ashen Hands Around Our Throats’ the ongoing saga of the Grenfell tragedy which is still unfinished. There is a bold lyric here ‘everyone who did this has a face, name and address’ accusatory and steadfast in its reasoning and undeterred in its clarity. You will not get away with these crimes, not with our friends Underdark on your case.
The closer is ‘Skeleton Queen’ which doesn’t relent, but continues with the generous breakdowns and takedowns, providing us all with a pitchfork and flaming torch to forge our own angry mob.
This band give us a ‘why didn’t I think of that’ quality, which is why they resonate so deeply and so intently, pure as the driven snow, blatant and unabashed in their values, let us reflect in the underworld that is Underdark.
Underdark – Our Bodies Burn Brighter On Re-Entry out now via LoveRec and Tridroid Records.