Undergang interview

From the slimy swamps of Copenhagen comes this outrageus creature. But no gloryfying anthems for infamous Vikings roberries here, maybe if they are decomposed in half battle leftovers or drakkars drunk crew rotting in the bottom of Baltic after their fatal journey... Still three youngsters, yet their brutal art gives credit to ancient, low tuned, corpse odour incensed metal of death. Here is David Torturdod, still alive, on behalf of Undergang (next one to dethrone Olsen`s mighty horde?).



FIRST CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOUR BAND? SOME OF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE IN OTHER BANDS RIGHT? WHAT ARE YOUR PREFERENCED BANDS/MUSIC GENRES?

UNDERGANG is and has always been: Dödshjælp on drums, Ondsind on bass and Torturdöd on guitar and vocals. We started playing late spring 2008 and played our first show in August same year. We`ve all played in several punk bands before starting UNDERGANG, knowing each other from the time we each spend in the metalcrust band REALM OF CHAOS. We all listen to a lot of different music genres, in UNDERGANG we just satisfy our lust for playing heavy death metal.

YOU HAVE DEBUT DEMO RELEASED (NOW SOLD-OUT, RIGHT?). TO ME IT COULD BE ANOUNCED AS EARLY GRAVE WITH IT`S HAVINESS STILL CATCHNESS MEETS INCANTATION`S PUTRIDNESS AND DARKNESS. WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHICH BANDS COULD YOU SAY WERE MOST INSPIRING FOR YOUR VIEW OF DEATH METAL?

Yeah, the promo tape sold out a bit faster than I expected, which is all good. Kinda regret never making more, we got an offer from a small label interested i re-releasing the promo tape in a very limited amount but after I send him everything needed to do the re-press he stopped aswering my emails, so I guess that they`ll never see the light of day.
Our music is inspired by such legends as AUTOPSY, SUFFOCATION, CARCASS, IMPETIGO, MORBID ANGEL, CREMATORY, WINTER, PUNGENT STENCH etc., I've heard a lot of different comparisons to our music than those just metioned which is cool to me as well.

YOU`VE TAKEN PART ON"DECOMPOSED" COMPILATION. HOW DO YOU THINK IT WAS USEFUL FOR BANDS PROMOTION?

After having some contact with Nev of Sheperd Of Rot records we added the demo recording of ``Evigt Lidende`` to his first release the DeCOMPosed compilation. For some reason it ended up entitled ``Eternal Struggle``, never really understood why but it's not a big deal. Hopefully the track on the comp. has opened some eyes in the American metalscene for us, that was pretty much our intension at least.

YOUR DEMO ARTWORKS WERE CREATED BY RAFAL KRUSZYK. HOW DID YOU GET TOGETHER INTO COLLABORATION?

The demo tape artwork was made by me. Rafal Kruszyk did some art for us for the LP, at first it was ment for the front cover but then we decided to go in another direction with the front cover so we ended up using the art Rafal did for us for the innersleeve of the LP instead. We started writing together over myspace at first and then he offered to do some art for us which we gladly accepted and I think we put it to good use.

YOU'RE ABOUT TO HAVE YOUR STUFF PRESSED ON LP. CAN YOU SAY SOME WORDS ON THIS,-IT WILL HAVE DIFFERENT COVER RIGHT? IS EXACT RELAESE DATE CONFIRMED? HOW CAN IT BE PURCHASED OBTAINED. WILL IT BE LIMITED EDITION?

Me Saco Un Ojo records from London will release our debut LP ``Indhentet Af Døden`` anytime now. It was supposed to have been out in late November but due to different things it ended up being a bit delayed, as I recall it was send to the pressingplant mid December. The tape we released the summer 2009 was a promo tape we made to find a label interested in releasing our debut LP, we just ended up being cotacted by Jesus og M.S.U.O. records offering to release the LP before we had the tapes all ready. We then decided to sell the promo tape to anyone interested and sold all 100 copies within 2-3 weeks.
The LP will feature black and white artwork by our friend Jonas Bjerg and I`m really satisfied with the end result. The firstpress of the LP will be 500 copies, 100 on colored vinyl. It'll be available through the label and us.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER FORMATS EXCEPT VINYL LP ``INDHENTET AF DODEN`` WILL BE AVAILABLE IN?

We're singing to XTREEM MUSIC records these days and they`ll release the CD version of "``Indhentet Af Døden``. 1000 copies firstpress.

YOUR SONGS ARE ENTITLED IN DANISH, ARE LIRYCS ALSO IN YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE? IS THIS THE WAY TO DIFFERENTIATE YOUR BAND FROM OTHER DEATH METAL ACTS? DO YOU BIND MUCH ATTENTION TO YOUR LIRYCS?

All of our titles and lyrics are in Danish. When we chose a Danish name for our and I knew that all the lyrics had to be in Danish as well. To me it just seemed as the logical way to go and I don`t recall there being another death metal act using Danish for the lyrics before which makes us stand out a bit as well. I write the lyrics after the music is done, trying to make them suitable to what mood the song puts me in. Sometimes it takes ages other times it`s right on the top of my head.

SAY SOME WORDS ON UPCOMING TOUR. IS THIS YOUR FIRST VENTURE OF THIS SORT AND SIZE?

We're trying to take a small trip down through Germany, the Netherlands and back through Germany again. Unfortunately it seems that we're having the same problems as last year when we tried to arrange a small tour. People aren`t that interested in booking us. I guess that maybe our sound is too punk for the metalscene and too metal for the punkscene. Last year we ended up with 2 shows in Germany after trying to arrange a series of shows in Germay, France and the Netherlands as well. We`ll see how it goes. Maybe in a year or two it`ll get easier whe we have more releases out.

HOW ABOUT YOUR LIVE PERFORMANCES SO FAR? DO YOU HAVE MORE STUFF TO PLAY LIVE THAN SONGS FROM DEMO?

We have made 4 songs since the recording of "I.A.D.", first new song "``Hæntørst`` is to be found on a compilation tape out very soon on Baphometal records from Argentina, we`ll get a load of copies of that too.

YOUR LOGO REMINDS AUTOPSY`S ONE A BIT. IS THIS KIND OF TRIBITE TOWARDS THAT BAND? WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON ABSCESS EFFORTS?

Hell yeah, I`ve always loved all of AUTOPSY`s logos and wanted to make something gory for us as well, I`m pretty satisfied with the outcome and to me it suits our music just right.
I like ABSCESS a lot as well, a lot of people seem to not liking them mostly because they compare them too much to AUTOPSY which of course is ridiculous as it's NOT the same band or exact style. Even so many years after AUTOPSY broke up as today it seems that it`s still the same situation... People are idiots. Horns up to ABSCESS from my side for sure.

LAST WORD FROM YOU AND BANDS PLANS FOR 2010 YEAR?

2010 will bring the release of our delayed debut record, more exclusive compilation tracks, a small European tour with DEAD INSTRUMENT, U.K show, possibly a split record and then we`ll probaly start focusing on writing material for our next full length on XTREEM MUSIC records... And that`s just what we've got lined up so far. No rest for the wicked.

Undergang Contact:
http://www.myspace.com/undergang666
undergang666(AT)care2.com