Worthless Life End - Unjoy (2010)
Runtime: 57 minutes
Recorded at Chamber Of Suicide in March, 2010
Current Bandmembers: Morbid and Hopeless
Melancholy Meter: 7.5/10
Unjoy or enjoy?
Because I enjoyed the fuck out of this album!
Another harrowing release from the entities only known as MORBID and HOPELESS, and with little to no assistance on its production this is a standout amongst the DSBM community.
I can't lie, in the world of Black Metal I am but a toddler.
Only first learning to walk 4 years ago and still wrapping my head around the vast landscape that is this genre of music.
In my travels I've learnt that a keen ear is needed, along with a reasonable understanding of musicianship, then pair that with a high-quality set of headphones and away you go.
But enough about me, let's talk about Worthless Life End.
A 4-track album (yes, some may refer to it as an EP due to only having 4 tracks but when the runtime is just shy of an hour in length, that's an album by my standards any day of the week) with a 5th bonus track if you own a physical copy, this release is solid!
Lucky enough to have landed one of the 470 limited-edition copies from Italy I've studied this one extensively in the last week.
The structure and layout here is simple, but effective.
Three original tracks followed by a crisp cover of Hypothermia's Gratoner and topped off with the bonus track Suicide Devotee, it stands out that sometimes it's better to keep it simple.
Let's walk the track...
1 - Worthless (11:07)
The album starts immediately with a distorted guitar riff that feels like it was made with funeral doom inspiration.
Soon though, the double kick bass drum and violent assault on the snare brings a bleak atmosphere, with feelings of winter and isolation...
...It's cold, and they want you to know it...
MORBID's ability to patiently deliver the vocals over such an intensely felt composition always impresses me.
Never is he compelled to give in to the torment that consumes him, and all the while seems to play with it like a puppet on strings - controlling its delivery to the consumer.
I mean, the opening lyrics to the album are "Hate this world, fuck this human existence," so if that doesn't sum up the torment that I'm referring to, I don't know what does...
At a DSBM-common-runtime of 11 minutes, it's a well-chosen opener.
Dark, haunting, confronting and lifeless, it's a tone setter.
2 - Life (12:08)
Aptly named, this song brings the album to life.
After a slow but powerful track to open its evident that we need to switch tempos if this is going to hold the listener to their chair for the next 50 minutes.
Introducing, Life...
Immediately piercing through the airwaves with high pitched riffage in the form of pure eastern European black metal, it's a pleasure to listen to.
MORBID's shrieks on this is what makes it for me, though.
Constantly sounding like the strangled howls of the devil, his power is impressive.
Lost, desolate, alone and defeated, he states that its "time to end everything."
Gorgeous
3 - End (10:14)
Spoiler alert: This is my favorite track on the album.
It's perfect because it legitimately sounds like the end...
A storm of heartfelt, depressing guitars, combined with deep screams on the vocals and we're left with pouring rain of relentless metal.
Steady drum work and manslaughter of the cymbals and hi-hat has this one crashing into your penetrable paradox of self-hatred.
I mean; this is a depressive and suicidal album, after all.
If you weren't already aware at this point of listening, it comes without question once End begins.
"Let this worthless life end and rest in peace with me."
Comforted by darkness, this song concludes with a blissful and world crushing tone.
Perfection
4 - Gratoner (10:15)
For anyone not familiar, this song was created and released by Hypothermia in 2008.
A DSBM band from Sweden, Hypothermia are widely regarded as one of the pioneers of Swedish Black Metal.
Released under the little known Turannum Productions, and limited to 1000 presses, it's understandable if this has somewhat missed your pigeonhole.
But missed no more, this is your introduction...
A solid cover by Unjoy, further showcasing that they can conform to the sounds of another band rather than being stuck in their own small circle of fans.
In a word - respectable.
5 - Suicide Devotee Bonus Track (13:52)
And why not just add a bonus track into a strictly limited 470 released copies...?
That's the sort of 'I-don't-give-a-fuck' attitude that I like.
As the only track to have received production assistance (in the likes of None on the drums) one might wonder if this is just a throwaway tapped onto the end of a 4-track release...
...At least, that's what I thought....
Gleefully proven wrong, I can say that this track earns its place.
Raw, heavy and criminally underheard, I love this song.
It keeps pace with the first 3 tracks on the album and maybe it was the Hypothermia cover of Gratoner that was thrown in to fill out the record?...
Either way, I'm not disappointed.
MORBID and HOPELESS combine for one last dance before we come to worthless life's end.
Not for the faint hearted, this is DSBM with little to no influence from 'classical' music.
The pianos, synths or strings that many DSBM fans have come to know and love within the genre are not present here...
...This is pure black metal, with a depressive, suicidal edge.
...Just look at the album art...
I feel like it hits home with fans of Gris and None but will appeal to most Black Metal and DSBM fans.
Thank you.
Sent from HellOnEarth,
Mr. Melancholy
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