Third I Rex reproposes meritoriously this ep of the English Underdark, originally released as a self-production last summer. An increase in its visibility and the possibility of being made available to a larger number of listeners is, in fact, right for this short but intense example of post black, well built and full of remarkable ideas: it is good the alternation between scream and growl and equally good is the performance of all musicians, no frills but effective in every aspect. The three tracks presented by the band from Nottingham follow a rather similar trend, with an initial part adhering to black metal in its roughest version and then gradually opening up to less harsh sounds and, finally, touching the emotional climaxes in the final phase of the tracks with more liquid and dreamy moments; a pattern that may appear predictable in its regular reiteration but that cannot be criticized in the light of the results obtained. In fact, Bank Of Roses, Span Of Black Nihility and With Bruised & Bloodled Feet strike since the first listening, opening the doors to a sound with an uncommon evocative potential: the different souls of the quintet coexist in a fluid and spontaneous way and, even if twenty minutes can be few to draw definitive conclusions, they are certainly enough to consider Underdark a name in sure ascent and from which it is legitimate to expect something important in the near future.

2017 – Third I Rex