UNDRASK is a five-piece Melodic Death Metal act from Greensboro, NC. Formed in 2013, God Emperor is their second full-length album and the first in six years. Using down tuned guitars and blast beat infused rhythms, coupled with harsh growls and shuddering bass, they create a sonic realm of darkness that inspires harrowing images of hellish torment. The demonic choirs and evil tones were self-released on April 21, 2023. The album opens with a wild intro that includes odd keyboard tones (maybe guitar with an effect) and leads to a scales-based guitar phrase and melodic drum tempo before shift to a chugging guitar riff. This all builds to blast beats, pounding bass and ethereal guitar leads that end up wrapped around the harsh vocals. This is "Eye Of The Archdemon," and the track that sets the tone for the rest of the album.

That song leads to "Spoils Of War," a heavier track that has layered in sounds of armies fighting and an overall feel of a song that could take you into battle. This is the song that really kicks off the use of multiple vocals to augment the feel of the not just the music, but the lyrics as well. The drop near the middle is quite well done, lulling the listener into a false sense of peace that is properly demolished by a resurgence of power. "The Mountain" fades in with more of the voices layering in to amplify the tone of the track. The guitars are well-modulated and have a killer rhythm going, supported from underneath by the bass and driven by the drums. The use of layering on the vocals beefs up the impact they have on the songs, making everything a bit bigger and bolder.

UNDRASK like longer songs. Both "Queen" and "Collectors" are right at the eight-minute mark and "God Emperor," the title track, clocks in at dead on ten minutes. Only "The Climb" is sub four minutes. The longer songs fuse in some Progressive Metal elements, though they are by no means intended to be Prog tracks. There is just more time and space to wander through different rhythms and tempos. "God Emperor" has a brutal feel from the opening, though that drops out for some Gregorian style chants that transition us to the next phase of the song. This one tracks a bit like a multi-part song with different movements. They execute this well, showing they have the talent and skill necessary to compose and play something much more complex when they desire.

UNDRASK are not satisfied with writing the same old Melodic Death Metal you've heard over and over. They want more and work hard to give you more. There is nothing simple on this album. The vocals are woven into layers, creating a more intense experience, adding tons of depth to the music and the lyrics both. The incredible guitar work goes hand in hand with the rhythm section, beefing each other up to make everything feel like it's a massive wave of sound. It's not what you'd expect, but it's exactly what you need.