Throw Yourself Down...

Undersmile - Anhedonia (2015)

Three years on from the release of their first full-length, with an EP, a split, and some side-project work to fill the time, Undersmile have returned with their second album.  Clocking in at 75 minutes, Anhedonia aims for the alternative side of doom metal, with slow-crooned lyrics, cello accompaniment, and clean melodies to go with the heavy chords and bass reverb.  Keeping the tempo low and the subject matter depressive, the band trudges through the weight of their songs, lifting up occasionally with the sad sweetness of the strings, but always returning before too long to the anger and angst.
With only one song dropping below the 10-minute mark, Anhedonia successfully captures a sensation of protracted grief and suffering, stretching out each track into a dirge which allows moments of rage to interrupt the grief.  Grim and foreboding, it's an album that really benefits from being played only once the daylight has vanished, and preferably with the windows open to let the anguish stream out into the night.
The record will be released on April 1st, available on vinyl, CD, and digital downloads from Black Bow Records.  Fans of down-cast mopery wrapped in sledge-like poundings of bass and guitar should definitely check it out.
~ Gabriel

For Fans Of;    Woods of Ypres, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Fall Of Efrafa, Light Bearer, Oak & Bone

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Undersmile - Sky Burial (320 kbps)

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