METALLIAN - Underdamped System

Members

Vocals

Guitar

Bass

Drum

History & Biography

Reviews

UNDERDAMPED SYSTEM – PHANTOM PAIN - METAL SCRAP
Many sources including the issuing label ‘Metal’ Scrap give these Poles less metal credit than they are due. While the band is not accepted as metal by several sources the attribution is largely unfair. There is enough metal here of the Meshuggah variety to make Underdamped System and its Phantom Pain album relevant. It is undeniably heavy, crushing and guttural. Not to say that other elements are not present – think industrial or psychedelic with even the monicker hinting at an industrial engineering periphery – but many metal fans would take to this brutal, guitar-oriented heave of a sound that falls like a ton of bricks.
The band looks like a bunch of hooligan louts who would go around farting upon the planet, but appearance and potentially unfair criticism based on ignorance aside, the gang has concocted a heavy album that is non-stop, changes speeds, often stalks the listener and is never without impact. The rhythm is occasionally oscillated to repeat, Wrath has a modulated vocal and listening to a song like Exile one notices how appropriately successful the production courtesy of Hertz Studio is. Again, the band is alternatively called industrial, electronica or dance and trust the very Metallian who despises joke poseur crap like Fear Factory yet recommends UDS. The music is devastating, the sound is fitting, the package is modern and original and one wonders why the recording, which stems from 2014, was only released in 2016. – Ali “The Metallian”

Interviews

Call them Underdamped System or UDS; either way the Polqnd-based band is quite an unknown entity on the metal scene. What is more is that the band’s style is variably described as something other than metal, although djent is quite appropriate. The band may not be the epitome of purity and loyalty, but do not be deterred. These guys deserve a hearing. Singer Kamil speaks to Ali “The Metallian” and answers questions about the band and abstains from considering the larger world. – 08.05.2017

METALLIAN: Let's talk about the band, which has been around, signed and released an album yet remains little-known. Could you fill the readers in on how this band came about and who is who?
KAMIL: We are bunch of friends and we know each other for a long time. We have played together in several different projects in the past. Since some time we have been thinking about doing something together and this is how the idea of Underdamped System arose. We have Jacek and Marcin on guitars, Dawid on drums, Radek on bass and me.
We know each other from other music projects. Most of us have side-projects currently. A few of them will also release something this year.

METALLIAN: Now let's talk about the name. What is the story behind the monicker and the abbreviation?
KAMIL: We were ‘awarded’ this name by a friend of ours and we liked it from the beginning. It is a strange sounding name, but I think it fits the music and the noise we play perfectly.

METALLIAN: Reviewing the band's status and name styles like electronica, dance, industrial, et cetra are assigned, but essentially the material is metal. What do you think? Where do these other styles in relation to the band come from?
KAMIL: Well, I am a bit surprised hearing that we are considered a dance or electronic band. What we play is mostly metal, but the most important thing for us is to produce a huge amount of energy for all the people listening to us. Of course we are glad when they start to breaking their necks at our gigs, which is obviously a dance.

METALLIAN: Whether you agree with the above-named styles or not in relation to the band, and it seems you do not, do you believe they may hinder your popularity or name recognition?
KAMIL: I prefer to consider UDS a metal band, but I have no problem when somebody recognizing some dance and electronics influences in the sound.

METALLIAN: OK then, referring to your latest album, what is a 'Phantom Pain'?
KAMIL: It is a phenomenon where you still feel something about something that is already gone. The album is about people, mankind and our planet. Maybe there are things which are already gone, but we blindly think that they can still preserve, thanks to us. We have belief that we still have plenty of time to start changes, but what we feel is only ‘phantom pain.’

METALLIAN: That is an interesting notion. Sticking with this album, was it initially released independently and then re-issued through Metal Scrap? I am trying to figure out why there was so much time between the recording and the release dates?
KAMIL: No, we didn’t released it independently. After recording it a lot of time was spent on the graphic aspects of the album. In parallel, we were in contact with a few labels and decided to join Metal Scrap Records what was obviously a very good decision.

METALLIAN: Speaking of which, how did you and Metal Scrap connect?
KAMIL: We learn about this label from our friends of Chaos Engine Research. They released their album on the label about two years ago.

METALLIAN: Not being Polish or living in Poland, the news out of Poland occasionally seems regressive or downright strange. I am referring to matters of religion, European Union, relationship with Russia and the plane crash, etc.
KAMIL: I am sorry, but let us stick to the music. Since UDS is not about politics I would like not to comment on anything like this.

METALLIAN: That is unsurprising, but a pity so finally, what is new or upcoming with the band?
KAMIL: We still have several gigs to play this year and hopefully we will be able to make a video this summer for one of the songs off Phantom Pain in two or three months. We will later put all efforts into new songs for the next album.

METALLIAN: Thank-you for your time.
KAMIL: Thank-you very much.

The band’s website is at http://udsband.pl.

If you enjoyed this, read Sanktuary

Underdamped System