In this latest episode of Loudwire’s Gear Factor video series, Undeath guitarists Kyle Beam and Jared Welch play their favorite riffs.

Hailing from Rochester, New York, Undeath generated instant buzz with Lesions of a Different Kind, their 2020 debut that featured The Black Dahlia Murder‘s Trevor Strnad on the title track.

Keen on evolving their style, 2022’s It’s Time…To Rise From the Grave (which Loudwire crowned Death Metal Album of the Year) found some more traditional metal influences come to the forefront. And now, with their third record, More Insane, Undeath are striving for even slicker songwriting. It’s a bit of a rarity in old school-styled death metal and refreshing to hear songcraft being prioritized over technical peacocking.

In this Gear Factor episode with Beam and Welch, fans gain a deeper understanding of where this hook-driven material comes from, whether it’s melodies, arrangements or just a nice, catchy chorus.

READ MORE: The Best Death Metal Albums of 2024 (So Far)

Growing up obsessing over the Guitar Hero 3 soundtrack seems to have had a big impact on the sheer level of FUN that’s present in Undeath’s brand of death metal. Throw Converge in the mix, prog rock legends Yes and Van Morrison and that’s some of the early influences on these two. Pretty nuts, huh?

From there, we get more into where the Undeath dudes are today in extreme metal and some techniques that they worked on developing.

Watch the full Gear Factor episode below and get the details on More Insane, the new song “Brandish the Blade” and upcoming tour dates further down the page.

Gear Factor: Undeath Play Their Favorite Riffs

Follow Undeath on Instagram, X and Facebook. Get your copy of ‘More Insane’ (out Oct. 4 on Prosthetic Records) on Bandcamp.

Undeath will embark on a headlining tour from Sept. 25 through Oct. 27 with Kruelty and Gates to Hell with Tribal Gaze and Torture at select stops. Visit the band’s website to see all their upcoming tour dates.

Undeath, More Insane Album Art + Track Listing

Undeath, ‘More Insane’ album art

Prosthetic Records

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01. Dead From Beyond
02. More Insane
03. Brandish the Blade
04. Disputatious Malignancy
05. Sutured For War
06. Cramped Caskets (Necrology)
07. Bounty Hunter
08. Wailing Cadavers
09. Disattachment of a Prophylactic in the Brain
10. Bones Clattering in the Cave

Undeath, “Brandish the Blade”

Best Death Metal Album of Each Year Since 1985

Almost four decades of brutality!

Gallery Credit: Joe DiVita

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