Metal 2 the Masses Ireland is always a tumultuous affair. Six bands duke it out onstage, and one is chosen to go to the sacred grounds of Catton Hall to play the Bloodstock Open Air Newblood Stage in August.That title went to Dublin hardcore quintet LaVein this year, but it didn’t end there. Their alt/prog metal compatriots Uragh didn’t take that lying down; they licked their wounds and went to the recording studio to perfect their latest single Decimate, and that’s exactly what they have achieved.
At just over 6 minutes long, ‘Decimate’ proves to be a razor-sharp point in Uragh’s arsenal. Narrowly missing the title shot at M2TM this year, they’ve proven that the ball doesn’t stop rolling just because you hit a speed bump.
Check out the new single below…
Composed of members from Sectile (who are no M2TM strangers), and Outbreak, Craig Murphy on vocals, Marcelo Varge on guitar, Jason Hodgkins behind the drumkit, and Sebastian Sparr on bass duties put boot to jaw on their previously-released demo ‘Samplaí’ released last October (found here).
This is an excellent add for fans of Gojira, Lamb of God and Whitechapel.
The tune begins standard enough with a palm-muted chord progression but then flurries into a hammer-on/pulloff frenzy by Varr. Hodgkins lays down the skin work culminating in both riffage and percussive fury before Sparr joins in as Murphy lays down the law.
His mix of guttural and gravel-filled lyrics is superb for this blend of metal; around 4 minutes in, however, it goes quiet in a sombre and harmonious clean section. Solitary stringwork is enhanced with drums echoing in the background, and Murphy’s vocal ability shines as he switches from death growls to softly-softly in a heartbeat. After a moment of tranquility, the blasting begins again as the outro soars to shake the ground. This is a brilliant upgrade on an already-brilliant song from their EP.
If you like your black/death smattered with alt/prog, this is your kind of jam.
Shaun Martin
www.overdrive.ie 2023
