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While described by vocalist Jake Bannon<\/strong> as the closest he has gotten to playing in a death metal band, Umbra Vitae<\/a><\/strong> has too many unique cooks in the kitchen to be described in those terms alone. We’re talking about a group where Mike McKenzie<\/strong> (The Red Chord<\/a><\/strong>), and Sean Martin<\/strong> (Hatebreed<\/a><\/strong>, Twitching Tongues<\/a><\/strong>) write riffs for Jon Rice <\/strong>(who somehow has Uncle Acid<\/a><\/strong> and Job For A Cowboy<\/a><\/strong> in his resume).<\/p>\n After accounting for Bannon<\/strong>‘s long history as the screamer in Converge<\/a><\/strong>, and one more Red Chord<\/a><\/strong> member in bassist Greg Weeks<\/strong>, Umbra Vitae<\/a><\/strong><\/strong> playing orthodox death metal was never a real option. Such was far from the case with 2020’s Shadow of Life<\/em>, and now with Light of Death<\/em>, the band has transcended the supergroup stereotype as they synergize their styles for a thoughtful exercise in auditory violence.<\/p>\n With 15 tracks clocking in at 45 minutes, Umbra Vitae<\/a><\/strong><\/strong> has chomped at the bit to build out their sound \u2014 like “Leave of Absence” opening with what sounds like hurdy gurdy drones and dissonant violin stings. But once the blast beats and caterwaulings take full effect, the band’s particular cross-section of death metal and hardcore materializes. Umbra Vitae<\/a><\/strong><\/strong>‘s death metal is calculated and unrelenting, while its hardcore is bestial and chaotic.<\/p>\n \n