Album Review: Under – Stop Being Naive (APF Records)

Under are a trio from Stockport, Greater Manchester, formed in 2016. Though rooted in the blueprints of Sludge and Doom Metal, their sound is harder to pin down with elements of Prog, Noise and Avant Garde creeping in. Think The Melvins, Big Business, Swans, Faith No More, Dillinger Escape Plan and Mr Bungle to name but a few.

The band will release their debut album, Stop Being Naive on October 30th 2018 through APF Records.

Well, what do have here? Malcontent is heavy enough to make you lose your lunch as the guitars rumble throughout your guts. It’s a horrifying start to a track that out of nowhere throws in a trippy new direction, a sign of things to come with Under’s unique release.

With mind suitably blown before we’ve really even got started, Under keep you on your toes with soft vocal harmonising at the start of The Climb and the out and out doomy levels of heaviness that exist in the excellent Traitors Gate. For all the oddities that Under bring to their music, they still focus on delivering exceedingly heavy and exciting music.

The musical madness reaches fruition on the double header of P. Irving and Grave Diggers. The former’s off-kilter guitars and the latter’s beastly brutality ensure you won’t be forgetting Stop Being Naive anytime soon.

Don’t worry though, Under are far from finished as Happy is a short slab of hardcore heaviness, An Inch of Sun is very dark and sludgy while album closer, Circadian Driftwood wraps things up with one final unbalancing treat. The group vocals at the end are great.

Under are a unique offering and Stop Being Naive is an attention grabbing listen. There is so much going on that to write about every little element would take thousands of words. Do yourself a favour, just go check it out yourself.

Under – Stop Being Naive Full Track Listing:

1. Malcontent
2. The Climb
3. Traitors Gate
4. Big Joke
5. Soup
6. P. Irving
7. Grave Diggers
8. Happy
9. An Inch of Sun
10. Circadian Driftwood

You can order the album digitally via Bandcamp while physical copies can be ordered via APF Records here. Find out more/keep up to date with news by liking Under’s Facebook Page.