British black metal band Underdark have released a new song guaranteed to turn a few heads-a gut punching rendition of Massive Attack’s classic, “Unfinished Sympathy”. The single has been announced in conjunction with the band’s exciting news that they have signed to Church Road Records for the release of their next album.
Underdark have been busy making a name for themselves within the UK black metal scene, earning positive reviews for their debut album, 2021’s Our Bodies Burned Bright On Re-Entry. Now, the band are looking to continue their steady climb, as they sign a deal with Church Road-a label began in 2017 and co-owned by Justine Jones, vocalist of Employed to Serve. Underdark are set to drop their second full length album sometime in the near future with the label, titled Managed Decline.
To celebrate the great news, Underdark have covered Bristol trip hop innovators Massive Attack’s “Unfinished Sympathy”-a version of the song unlike any other. Speaking of the label and new song, the band said, “We are beyond excited to announce that our second album Managed Decline is coming out on Church Road Records. Church Road is a label we’ve long admired and to be able to release our second album through them is truly an honour. We believe this album represents a big leap forward for us as artists and we’re very grateful to be able to share it with you all. In the meantime, enjoy this cover of Massive Attack’s Unfinished Sympathy we crafted in between work on the new album.”
The group set out to experiment with a genre that was, as some might say, out of their comfort zone and they definitely chose a style of music that could not be much more different sonically from their own. But this is part of the appeal for the Nottingham five-piece, as they acknowledge that interacting with different forms of music can actually be a positive challenge for any band and one that allows for an alternative interpretation.
Underdark began in 2015 from humble roots in Nottingham, England but after adding Abi Vasquez in 2019 the band took off, becoming a success through DIY approaches to the music industry and staying true to what inspires them. With biting, poignant lyrics that cover everything from personal emotions to anti-fascism, Underdark are careful not to be pigeon-holed into a specific classification. Instead, the band prefer to focus on issues that may hit closer to home, basing their message around real world issues that everyday people will encounter. This makes Underdark one of the most gripping and promising bands in the Brit-black metal scene.
