The quintet Undead Prophecies hails from the French underground. They’ve been around for some time, but not much is known about the guys (?), as they only appear under aliases (Angelus, Drauhr, King Obscuro, Necros and Noctidiurnal, to be precise), and costumed as grim reapers. However, a fact is that, after three years of silence, they put out a new record, entitled Sempiternal Void.
What awaits you here is some serious oldschool death metal. Think Death or Obituary, two of the influences stated on their website. Meanwhile, the undead have their own unique sound, so no plagiary anywhere on the horizon. The songs are a swift kick in your ass, and sometimes are borderline psychotic, as is for example the case with I Summon Demons. Suffocated Vanity meanwhile is rather groovy in its own right. In any case, Undead Prophecies manage to create a bleak and haunted atmosphere, where their appearance as grim reapers fits right in – a perfect example for this is The Souls I Haunt. The production of Sempiternal Void is rather raw, which in this case is actually the cherry on the top – out comes a dirty, very raw and brutal record that sticks with you long after you listened to its last note, which is actually a great cover of Venom’s Warhead.
You guessed it: I’m a fan of Sempiternal Void. To me, records lose their appeal when they get monotonous, have no distinction between the different tracks – as can be the case with oldschool death metal ones. Luckily, this isn’t the case here, as stated above, even though Undead Prophecies have their trademark sound and have created a homogenous package. You might argue that the production is not top-notch, and you’d be right, but to me this only enhances the experience. This record comes highly recommended to any death metal enthusiast. 9.5/10
Undead Prophecies Official Website
Undead Prophecies Facebook
Undead Prophecies Twitter
