Review by Felix on December 12, 2021.

The first time that I listened to Armoured Angel was a relatively strange experience, because in fact I did not listen to the band. Hellbringer's first vinyl turned its rounds on my turn table and the sound of "My Fist Your Face" filled the room. I did not realize that it was a cover because it worked excellently in the context of Hellbringer's own compositions. So now you might have a first indication about the sound of Communion.

The three Australians (Armoured Angel, not Hellbringer) play a very generic, heavy and authentic kind of thrash metal. The riffs on Communion embody brutality in its purest form. At the same time, Armoured Angel present a very casual way of proceeding. The band is not afraid of offering mid-tempo songs ('Castration', the title track), yet I do not miss anything. High speed thrash is always a fine thing, but the violent efficiency of the guitar makes up for this loss. In particular the title track appears as a heavyweight steamroller that has never heard words such as "compromise", "indulgence" or "charity". The thoroughly working riffs of the rasping guitars leave nothing but scorched earth. The raw vocals are the second feature that stands out, while the rhythm section just does its job precisely.

Communion was a demo, but its sound exceeds the expectations. In view of the well-balanced and aggressive mix, uninformed listeners would swear that they are enjoying a regular publication. Dear fellows, you are wrong. Apart from this, the level of musicianship also does not indicate a non-professional formation. Each and every song relies on a solid construction and the band has a very good instinct for the balance between variety and accessibility. For example, the opener scores with a demonically growing introduction, strong verses, a short, pretty dynamic bridge and a stunning up-tempo part at the end. However, the riffs are the stars.

The remaining tracks, 'Tergiversator' and 'My Fist Your Face', make clear that Armoured Angel also cherish rapid thrash. These songs leave an impact, too, yet the more original tracks are the mid-paced pieces. Anyway, all songs are cut from the same cloth and details like the guitar solo of 'Tergiversator' or the smooth flow of 'My Fist Your Face' burn a hole in your brain and make you lose control. This band is simply cool and they play the roles of the unapproachable outsiders in black leather jackets very convincingly. Moreover, the blue vinyl looks great and the entire design of the output (lyric sheet, all songs on one side of the record, a band pic on the other side) deserves applause. I would like to thank the metal archaeologist who dug out this treasure - old school thrashers, it's your turn.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Alex on November 4, 2020.

Twelve years later and the sewer lurkers still carry the stench of old death metal along with them. Loved the tunes Undergang put out since the first day I heard them, had to go back and check out what else they had. Listened to their debut album Indhentet Af Døden and fell in love with it. To this day it's still the best I think they've done, but there were opportunities to out do it. Misantropologi is good, though it could have been better if they had balanced the grindcore with the death metal convincingly. The genres seemed a bit disconnected from each other in some instances but no real harm was done. On Aldrig I Livet, it seems as though they did a better job of consolidating the two all the while introducing elements of doom metal. Thus said, I think Aldrig I Livet is Undergang's best material since their debut Indhentet Af Døden, and it definitely tops their previous full length Misantropologi.

The first two tracks are the shortest on the album and they do well with projecting what's to follow on the album. As usual David's vocals are still delivered from some hidden compartment in his stomach reeking of some abhorrent gunk to match with the stomping thump of the drums. As usual Undergang don't stop there, they bring riffs, some are just straight up savage as on 'Indtorrent' or 'Menneskeæder' whilst others take up a more atmospheric approach as can be heard on 'Ufivillig donation AF vitale organer' and album title 'Aldrig i Livet'. Bringing me to the main focus of this new album from the Danish death metal delinquents; though Misantropologi had strong ideas instrumentally, it never really tried to depart from its traditionally lauded roots, hence most of the songs sounded recycled to people who were familiar with Undergang. Therefore, contrary to their prior album, Aldrig I Livet excels at not just merging the death, grind and doom effectively, but the band appears to be more confident about stretching their sound and challenging their musicianship in search of a truly new chapter in their songwriting.

Its evident throughout the album that Undergang diligently focused on giving the listener an unforgettable experience with songs like 'Rodt dodt kod' and 'Indtorret' displaying the band's ability to hold onto their blueprint yet simultaneously create something that takes the extra step in progressing the material, in-turn giving the record a true thematic appeal through the many variations installed. Grindcore moments divert into thrashing death metal segments that take advantage of the momentum by traversing slower territory, and it's back and forth onwards. Yes there is still a lot of DNA shared with Wormridden and Hyperdontia among others; however, that's to be expected given David provides vocals for the latter and guitars for the former; however, the manner in which Aldrig I Livet's musicianship is pitched, one can't help but praise the album for its refreshing character. Hence, I think with this new record, Undergang may have managed to carve out a route for exploration, thus transporting their sound to more exciting all the while disgusting and disastrous domains.

Rating: 9.2 out of 10