The exceptionally aggressive and all-out riveting musical force of nature known as Utflod recently released their face-melting yet perfectly atmospheric debut album titled Efterdønn via the wonderful Apollon Records. For those of you who are into utterly fierce metal with prominent traces and elements of hardcore and punk woven into the mix, this LP is most definitely something that you need to make a note of and check out. Raw and occasionally unhinged without ever losing focus or sounding anything less than cohesive, the infectious record has become something of a treasured and cherished favourite to this scribe.
On a surprisingly warm Thursday evening in November, the quartet performed a 25-minute set at Bergen’s best and cosiest record store, a so-called mini-concert in an intimate environment, and I could not have been happier with what I witnessed. The strong turnout coupled with the tight, gut-piercing band made for a deftly executed gig and a memorable event where an exchange in energy between the crowd and Utflod took place, almost akin to a synergy, if that makes sense. The raw guitar sound, the rumbling bass, the heavy drums, and the ear-splitting vocals of the animated and inimitable Oda complemented each other superbly, and no time was wasted by the group, which entailed that they managed to squeeze plenty of tunes into their concise set. Efterdønn was obviously the focal point of the concert, and I must say that ‘Frå Eit Hjerte’ had a certain impact that made it the highlight of the set to these ears. I also loved the fact that they threw the 2-second ‘Rier’ into the fiery mix. Good to see irony and humor are luckily an essential ingredient in the Utflod camp.
As with their recorded outputs, last night’s show displayed a sense of musical danger, of stepping closer to the edge and of staring into the abyss to confront the best and worst aspects of what it means to be human. Yes, that is exactly it – and all of that was presented and delivered in a mere twenty-five bone-crushing minutes by a focused quartet hellbent on rattling our puny skulls and making us pay attention to just how well-crafted and vital their song material truly is.
