Urfaust : “Untergang”

“Untergang” – the last work of Urfaust. I fully realize what this means and as a mature person I respect the band members’ decision completely, but a part of me always seems to want another album from the mystic dwellers, who  gave me so many good times through their fascinating works.

Without much fanfare and campaigns, the patrons of the ritualistic sound said their “farewell” to us with a special gift – seven new tracks of classic Urfaust, in the form of their seventh full-length album “Untergang”. As the title and cover suggest, with this album the band “closes the pub”, and in this case did it in an extremely original, classy and characteristic way. By the way, it  was interesting for me to see the image itself  – it is done by the artist Izabela Carlucci and she included a lot of symbolism in it that I’m sure many of you will be interested in discovering for yourself.

And because I like to fully and very slowly enjoy the good things in life, I had left this album for a special moment. I didn’t listen to it right away when the public premiere came up. I guess to some extent I wanted to delay this “Farewell” to a favorite band. Such a moment requires a little more special treatment.

And I guess it is because of the reason that I enjoyed the album aside from the hype around it and waited a little longer, its effect on me was absolutely mind-blowing.
The very first title track, “Untergang” (translates as “Death”), took me back to my favorite “Verräterischer, nichtswürdiger Geist” and the authentic Urfaust distortion riffs and ritualistic rhythms that throb in your mind. And when the incantation  of IX appeareed in the foreground and added even more to the full picture, I completely forgot where I was and different emotions began to struggle within me – immense greatness oozes from this piece and knowing that it is the beginning of the absolute end of Urfaust, I said to myself “when my time comes , I want to leave in exactly the same way”.

After the dizzying opening, “Höllenkosmos” (translated as “Hell Cosmos”) slowly and smoothly takes over the listening space, thanks to its low tempo and emerging chants and screams in the background of the melodic parts. The song sounds dark, hypnotic and immerses the listener in the specific hellish atmosphere  of Urfaust, in which the musicians  bravely dive from the very beginning of their musical career.

And if “Höllenkosmos” is about falling through the gates of Hell into the smoky Underworld, then the follow-up track “Leere” feels like a cold void. Atmospheric and filled with icy riffs and more aggressive drums, the song resembles a ghostly aura that envelops you in its  ominous embrace.

In the subsequent songs on the album, thе charm  of the sound continues to blur everything around you.
“Reliquienstaub” (“Relic Dust”), with its nearly four minutes of instrumentals in an almost funereal atmosphere, floats smoothly into ritualistic space to make way for Vernichtung (“Destruction”) –  a track that with its darkwave inspirations mixed with the screams of IX, makes you feel like a demon dancing in the flames, and the ambient sounds used by the band are unmistakable once again and give the song an authentic ending.
A finale that sets the stage for the album’s shortest track Atomtod (“Atomic Death”) and its distorted sounds and slow rhythmic drums, all  whispering  uncompromisingly apocalyptic prophecies.

And what comes after the devastation? With ‘Abgrund’, the album’s final track, Urfaust pulls everything we love about their music out of the darkness, taking us back to the band’s golden years. A worthy farewell from  the mystics. And it  may fade away in the recording, gradually dissolving in space, but will definitely remain echoing in time.

I can think of dozens of associations, and I read a lot of symbolism in Urfaust’s message, even beyond the symbolic death of their adventure, but I think you just have to hear the album and indulge yourself in “Untergang”. And as I mentioned – this is a special album that deserves special treatment. Sink into it slowly and don’t miss a note.

I sincerely thank Urfaust for all these years and for all the inspiration I get from their music. It wouldn’t be the same without you. Thanks.

You can hear the whole album here, if you still didn’t have the chance to do so:

And if you want to get your hands on their CD or Vinyl, quickly click here: https://bit.ly/45wTpCu.