Album Review: Underking - At Hell's Gate
Reviewed by Paul Hutchings
Not heard of Underking before? Join the club. Hailing from Nottingham, this is a solo act which released its debut record ‘Ghosts of the Past and Amongst the Dead’ last year. I didn’t catch that debut, but I like what I hear on follow up ‘At Hell’s Gate’.
Underking is the name of Maxwell Jeffries, a self-confessed sci-fi nerd who loves a bit of the NWOBHM style of metal. 39 minutes of well-crafted music which is tightly performed, and with narrative influences that range from Star Wars and Lord of the Rings to The Last Airbender.
For a solo project, this is an album that is very solidly constructed. At times it does veer into the slightly ‘bedroom style’ production but for the main, there is little to place it apart from more established outfits. There are ample heavy riffs, occasionally overused and repeated, plenty of melodic elements and a variety of styles that make it challenging to pigeonhole.
Jeffries’ clean vocals are one of the highlights of the album, soulful and energetic with a distinctive style that is clearly his own style, refreshing in an age where so many singers focus on similarity in style.
Tracks that grab the attention include the pomp of opening song ‘Shadow I’ve become’, the anthemic blasts of ‘Red Sun Rises’ and the powerful ‘No Mercy’, a track which also features saxophone from Charlotte Corry of Just Say Nay whilst Dustin Parlier of Two Eyes Open and a choral ensemble of fans adds a rawer, aggressive vocal turn.
It’s a pleasurable album that has pace, power and enough about it to be genuinely worthy of a listen. A feisty fusion of thrash, NOWBHM and classic heavy metal.
