Úlfúð - Of Existential Distortion (2023)

Hailing from Iceland, Úlfúð delivers one monumentally crushing debut full-length release with the piercing “Of Existential Distortion”. Featuring over 44 minutes and eight tracks of punishing and yet well polished Black/Death Metal, this album showcases the band’s vicious sound and thirst for destruction. With plenty of highly creative and musically proficient bands coming form this tiny country, it is time for Úlfúð to make themselves known.

Unleashing all hell with the brutal opener “Where Strange Lights Dance”, and followed up by “Tears of Terra”, the band sets a very high bar with relentless riffing onslaughts and pummeling drumming. The harsh vocals are quite aggressive, allowing tracks like “Mockery Theatre” and “Faceless” to be relentless aural onslaughts, similar to some of Behemoth’s outburst. However, the band’s core sound is quite characteristic and brutally enjoyable.

Things take a sinister tour with the ravishing “The Gods Left Behind” and its crafty tempo changes into more melodic and atmospheric passages, showing a shift in the album’s progression. We particularly like the Doomier edge of “Questions”, a song that slowly builds up, perfectly combining the band’s unwavering aggression with melodic melancholy. These transitions showcase the band’s polished style and ample bag of tricks culminating in the epic “An Elegy to a Paradise Out of Reach”, hands down the best track in this release.

As “Leviathan Dreams” closes the album with a sinister tone and crafty layered guitars, Úlfúð has managed to deliver an excellent and devastating debut release. The band’s aurally abusive style perfectly blends familiar elements that are delivered in a very engaging and diverse package. If you are looking for a powerful release filled with aggression and yet some crafty melodic undertones, “Of Existential Distortion” is the album for you.

Label: Dark Descent Records

Release: March 17th, 2023

Genre: Black/Death Metal

Country: Iceland