This release marks a significant shift in their sound, incorporating elements not present in their earlier works.
The album dives into a lo-fi black metal atmosphere, thick with raw aggression and a pervading sense of ritualistic dread. The band skilfully weaves in dark ambient textures, creating a truly abominable soundscape. This is a clear departure from the previous aesthetic, more ambient and folk-infused, direction.
The opening track showcases Nieumarli's newfound ferocity. The crazed and ululating vocals that melt into the music and the mid-paced speed, sometimes reminding the unsettling sounds of the cult black metal act, Mons Veneris, that often delves into such captivating and disturbingly beautiful dissonance.
The last half of the album marks a shift back towards Nieumarli's earlier sound. Ambient and folk elements resurface, bookended by a cover of Sopor Aeternus, a fitting tribute to their previous aesthetic. This final section provides a sense of closure while showcasing the band's versatility.
This record is a compelling journey through contrasting soundscapes, as their embrace of raw black metal and dark ambient textures is a bold move, but one that definitely pays off.
Mystical black metal reminiscent of Branikald, Runespell, Burzxm, Ancestors Blood, and early Graveland. The music, filled with melancholy and nostalgia, seems well-suited to the autumn and winter seasons. The reverb-drenched vocals, sweeping more like the wind than a typical vocal performance, complement this perfectly. The lyrics—based on the title alone, one might guess the inspiration—create a poetic horror. On guitar, no less than Jerzy Szamota himself, a beautiful nod to the work of Stefan Grabiński. The photo in the album insert conjures up his era and the spiritualist séances he was deeply drawn to. Interestingly, the second half of the album ventures into the realm of dark ambient, rich with invocations. I'm not usually a fan of such atmospheres, but here it works quite well, making the album a compelling listen from start to finish. And yes, to fully appreciate The Undead, you need to embrace it whole: the rawness of the beginning, the horror-infused lyrics reminiscent of early 20th-century dread in the middle (above translated the title to give you the clue) , and even the electronics (?) at the end.
Sample:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn_uwBy7j98&t=378s
