OF XENOGLOSSY AND SATURN

With the precedent of a short, and somewhat disappointing EP, Spanish death metal act returns in 2008 with a full-length. As could be expected from a band that uses an EP to test the waters, 'Of Xenoglossy And Saturn' witnesses a marked improvement in virtually every area of the band, most notably including their production and performance. While Undefined have sharpened their heels on this one, their music still finds itself lacking that special 'something' that would have made it otherwise stand out from the legions of other death metal bands.

As the EP 'Saturnism Unfolds' indicated, Undefined has a sound that was very riff-oriented, somewhat complex, and keen to incorporate acoustic elements into their music. In more ways than one, they seem to have incorporated much of their sound from the giants Opeth, and this will certainly stand to appeal to many potential fans of this band. Undefined's execution of the sound this time around is quite professional. The production is a little more lively, and the musicianship gives a strong sense that Undefined have tightened up in the years since 'Saturnism Unfolds'. The vocal elements of Undefined remain sadly rather underwhelming; Gherion's growls lack the ferocity that I would hope for, and the clean vocals are weak. 'Of Xenoglossy And Saturn's sum of achievement is largely in terms of the guitars, and particularly the bass work of Jaime Berciano. A somewhat jazzy sound to the bass helps distinguish Undefined a little more from the run-of-the-mill, and while some of these riffs feel uninspired, the way they are all played is very impressive.

The songwriting of this band seems a little more refined this time around, and the lengthy tracks seem to be a little more justified. All the same, Undefined presents me with the same major qualm that I had with the debut EP; while they present promise as a performing act, they feel like a dry copy of other band's ideas and styles, particularly those of Opeth and Death. As skilled as this act may be, the appropriately titled Undefined need to find a more confident direction with their music.

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