Umbrtka - Úplná Demontáž Lidstva (2009)

You may well be familiar with the Czech sewer black metal band Stíny Plamenù, but what of the prolific Umbrtka? Having released 14 albums since the turn of the century, you could argue that this was the most prolific project of Lord Morbivad. While Stíny Plamenù explores the world beneath the pavement of infested European streets, Umbrtka celebrates the machinery of our decay. And it does so through a series of rather strange concept albums. On the surface, they're pure, brutal black metal, but there is a level of engagement and atmosphere you won't hear in your garden variety grimness. They call this 'gray metal'.

Úplná Demontáž Lidstva creates thick passages of streaming, vile chords over rapid fire drum programming. Morbivad's painful vocals echo their posthumous poetry above the conjured imagery of industrial decay. If you're a fan of the Czech spin on gruff black vocals (i.e. Root, Master's Hammer, etc) you'll find a lot to like about this man's style and accent. There are some pretty straightforward black metal numbers like "Špinavá lávka" and the razor honed "Umbrtka Kat", but I actually enjoy it when the band gets stranger. "Šedá v úle" (trans. "Grey in Beehive") opens with the feedback of screeching, grinding metal...and a saxophone...before immersing you into its creepy, goth/industrial overtones. "Dítě z popelnice" (trans. "Under the Flag of Smoke") alternates intense blasting with playful, bass-driven spurts of oddness, ambience and acoustics. "Přátelé" is an excellent track, slower and ominous, industrial in parts, but flourished with progressive black metal: melancholic leads and droning vitriol. Possibly my favorite here.

It's clear Lord Morbivad and the musicians he surrounds himself with are hell bent on a little creativity, whether here or his other projects. Úplná Demontáž Lidstva is no masterpiece, but it's certainly captivating and a breath of fresh air. If you're a fan of Stíny Plamenù or perhaps the stranger Norwegian bands like Solefald, Ulver, Manes and Dodheimsgard, you would do well to check this album out. I found it inspiring enough to try and mine the band's extensive backlog, the interesting concepts they have produced.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

http://www.myspace.com/umbrtka