DUNDERBEIST – Songs Of The Buried

Indie Recordings – Out Now

As a rule, if you cannot explain to people how to do something then you are better off doing it yourself. That seems to be the motto of the Norwegian sextet Dunderbeist – a band that chooses to record it albums in its own home studio and whose musical influences and general orientation are so complicated and varied that only the term “Progressive Metal” seems to come close to describing them.

Even though the band’s work rate since its inception six years ago is such that has resulted in the release of a brand new album every year, “Songs Of The Buried” is only the second ever release to be promoted outside Norway and, being the curious person that I am, I soon decided to be the one to review their work.

Though both riff and melody driven, the ten compositions on offer portray Dunderbeist as a group of musicians who are not afraid to experiment and incorporate various elements into their generally short compositions so you should not be surprised to find a Tool-influenced vocal melody sitting comfortably next to a rhythmical riff the likes of which made guitar maestro Ihsahn (ref Emperor) the important musical figure that we all know and love.

Strangely enough, it is this love for ceaseless experimentation that also seems to work against the music of this band, as certain compositions come across as slightly disjointed and lacking in focus – something that may have been avoided, had the band exercised some restraint along the way.

Following a very short acoustic guitar & deep vocal intro entitled “Y”, I was taken aback by the massive distorted riff of “Father Serpent” – a catchy mid tempo beast whose sound has close affiliations with the local Black Metal scene, thereby creating an interesting musical contrast. “Acheron” and “The Hidden One” find the band investing in numerous rhythmical ideas while the vocal performances in “Enter Exile” are reminiscent of Tool.

Band vocals are present in every composition of the album, but seem to work miracles in the groove laden “Songs Of The Buried” which, together with the piano led “Centuries”, are the absolute highlights of the album. Even though the slow & heavy riffed “Four Of The Seven” tried hard to keep a certain momentum going, neither “Forcefed Boar’s Head” nor “Mongrel” proved equal in terms of innovation and effect, closing the album in a lukewarm fashion.

“Songs Of The Buried” is one of those albums that only a band with real skill and true potential can create but which also proves without doubt that there is more work to be done before Dunderbeist can stop people in their tracks to pay attention. Indie Recordings have made a very wise decision in offering this sextet a contract; all it takes now is patience and support and, provided that these are given in abundance, it will not be long before this group makes a real name for itself!

John Stefanis

Rating: ***1/2 (3.5/5.0)

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