Unendlich Unveil The Edge Of The Grave With Latest Brutal Black Metal LP ‘Thanatophobia’

Unendlich tell the story of not only coming face to face with the acute moment of our end but getting hit with the realization that it’s coming on their February 1 Horror Pain Gore Death Records release Thanatophobia. Both the album’s lyrics and music contribute to painting this darkness. The sonic violence they wield highlights this incredibly sharp realization, slicing into us like a knife and pushing us down a very particular path as the run time — and our own time — drag on, no matter whether we can see the big picture of that path or not. It’s like a monster of our own making is pushing us down a dark alley with a knife to our back.

The band’s extreme metal hits with an incredible amount of force while at the same time, circulating around a sense of control that helps drive the record forward. This tension contributes to a spectacularly huge dose of energy that courses through the latest record, which feels like it encapsulates repeated moments of psychological and even physical break and defeat. The music repeatedly builds up only to break right down again, allowing for the listener to flow along with the music in a sense — whether they’re ready or not. You might find yourself thinking you can grasp for something to hold onto in the music but find nothing,

Strangely enough, on top of the record tapping into this particular psychological breaking point, Thanatophobia feels surprisingly “catchy” and engaging, at least for a brutal black metal record. This is a story that demands involvement. There are some well placed moments of clean vocals including towards the very end of the record that highlight this sense, as well as some unique musical drops. You can really follow and dig into the music, which circulates around energetically and forcefully beating the living daylights out of anything it comes in contact with.

This uniquely engaging music comes together with the carefully constructed lyrics from Unendlich mastermind Michael Connors in an impressive display of integration. Nothing that’s presented here really falls by the wayside — it all gets a chance to shine in its gruesome glory as Connors weaves his tale of successive bouts of alienation that leave the speaker forever lost in their own misery.

5/5 Stars

Listen via Bandcamp