Though the sub-genre in which they operate is ludicrously deep underground,
populated by a scattered handful of isolated lost souls, UDOM have carved
themselves a fearsome reputation through demos and mp3s in a way that few
bands do nowadays. Ambient funeral doom bands and musicians are popping up
everywhere acknowledging the influence of UDOM- or more accurately the
influence of Stijn, the UDOM mastermind, whose other equally intriguing and
devastating projects include Beyond Black Void and Fall of the Grey-Winged
One. The UDOM name may have originally come from a My Dying Bride lyric, but
'Prelude to monolith' makes MDB look like the Monkees. Snapped up by
promising new extreme-doom label Firebox, this seventy-minute debut (three
songs, an intro and a Chopin cover) admirably builds on the atmospheric
freezing-point of their demo material. The production lends the album a
fuller quality without compromising UDOM's indescribably distant,
unfathomably deep, suffocating ambience. Effectively, this music is a form
of genuine emotional communication, which is perhaps why it connects and
affects on such a powerful level.