Back in 2019, I premiered the album Thanatophobia by one-man USBM project Unendlich. Two years later, I’m honored to premiere the next album in the project’s increasingly strong discography. The new album Paradox of a Broken World is the creation of Maryland-based multi-intrumentalist and sole member Mike Connors. It’a a cutting and cunning release that polishes black metal without losing the genre’s serrated edge. An ode to atrocity and human hypocrisy, Paradox of a Broken World has riffs even sharper than its contempt. Decibel Magazine is proud to host the album a few days before it’s officially released.
“Wisdom of Suffering” begins with a blast that stabs through the speakers. I wrote something very similar about Thanatophobia: “There’s no mood-building ambience padding the run-time here before [the first track] roars from the haunted depths of Tartarus. While the rhythms and tempos nimbly shift throughout [the album], Unendlich largely opt for blackened blasts laced with subtle melodies.” The difference here is that the melodies are too contagious to be subtle. The mixing and mastering of Lawrence Mackrory shines bright moonlight on the remarkable guitar leads. Each note glimmers threateningly like a thirsty blade. There are haunted synths (“It Consumes You” and “Culmination of Hate”). A rock-beat single with industrial Rotting Christ vibes (“Into Abandonment”). But what makes Unendlich so notable is the dichotomy of fragile beauty and snarled volatility.
“Though the pandemic derailed much of the momentum Unendlich had built toward live shows in 2020, I spent that time writing and recording Paradox of a Broken World,” Connors shares. “Conceptually, the album is an observation of human hypocrisy and absurdity, where denying the realities within society and within oneself accelerates the inevitable destruction of civilization. Sonically, I feel it is one of the best sounding Unendlich albums and I’m very happy with the mix Lawrence Mackrory achieved. Shows are slowly coming back and am excited to play some of the new material live. We’re kicking things off at this year’s Shadow Woods Fest on August 28th. I’ll keep riding this wave until the next catastrophe hits, while hopefully remaining alive long enough to see society crumble.”
Press play below and enter the fractured world of Unendlich’s new album.
Pre-order Unendlich’s Paradox of a Broken World on Bandcamp HERE
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