The Pillaging Dead...

Undead Viking Mafia - Ours, and Fairly Won (2012)

The great band names just keep rolling in this week as we return to Atlanta for another collection of thundering tracks from the guys who kicked off the blog at the very start of this year. Yup, UVM are back to their old tricks with a brand new EP, which hopefully is serving as a precursor to a new full length album, because every time I listen to these guys I'm always left yearning for bloody more. No difference with this latest outing either. Like Clutch meets Maylene, the crushing formular is once again a winning one. Following the single track release back in June for Vipers & Charlatans I kinda got the feeling the band were straying into slightly different waters. Sounding a bit more Black Label Society than much else, all the pinch chords and Zakk Wilde kinda fret work sort of left me on the back burner a bit. But where my faith was once shaken this little three track EP quickly quashed all doubts. Sounding a whole lot more focused and in some places slightly more tortured, each track feels like it's taking it's main influence from a different genre; Last Call - stoner, 500 Year Scotch - hardcore, Hello, My Carcass - southern rock. I love the idea, and because the guys can actually pull it off it works brilliantly. I just hope I'll be able to say the same when the next full length albums drops...
I'm pretty sure it will.
~ Jay

For Fans Of; Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster, Clutch, Superjoint Ritual, Cancer Bats, Suicidal Tendencies

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Ours, and Fairly Won (320kbps)

Oh, That's Genius!...

Undead Viking Mafia - Resurgens (2011)

Call me shallow but if you've got an awesome name for you're band then rest assured you're gonna get my attention. It's only natural surely? So when it came to Atlanta four piece Undead Viking Mafia, I may well have just gone and shouted out load "Holy fuck thats an awesome name for a band!"... Hell, thats an awesome name for just about anything, just imagine going up against a football team called that! God, I'm jealous that I didn't come up with it.
So fine, I hear you say. They've got a cool name but are they all really all that? Well 'yes they are' answers that question. With a quintessential southern rock twang, hardcore vocals and smattering of 80's punk influence immediately evident, the whole album is kinda bathed in a pretty eclectic taste of genres. Just listening to the first track of the album you'll be able to pin point guitar licks similar to that of Zakk Wilde and Deron Miller (cKy), drumming akin to early Chris Lombardo and vocals that seamlessly flow between that like Ben Falgoust (Soilent Green) and Henry Rollins. Not to put too finer point on it, its pretty bloody astounding. I've not heard anything this varied and yet so tight in a long long time.
You've gotta hear these guys. No matter what your preferred genre maybe I can pretty much guarantee that you're gonna love em'.

For Fans Of; Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster, Unsane, Hatebreed, Suicidal Tendencies, Refused

Website • Facebook • Myspace • Bandcamp

Resurgens (320kbps)