FEATURE FILM REVIEW: “UNDERGROUND CIVILIZATION: D.C. Death Metal in the ’90s”

Sometimes it’s hard to believe that almost 30 years have transpired since the heydays of the 1990s death metal underground scenes around the world. Today’s death metal icons were young bands that would eventually carve the largely uncharted paths. The U.S. had some of the most influential bands of the day.

As far as the U.S. is concerned, Tampa, FL was the big one. It bore bands like Death, Obituary, Deicide, Morbid Angel, et al. There were bands like Ripping Corpse, Revenant, Immolation, Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, which all represented the northern east coast. Tucked somewhere in the middle was the small but potent scene in the Washington D.C. area. It was a scene that essentially epitomized the metal underground at the time. Those bands didn’t find much ‘mainstream’ acknowledgement but they worked together in their community to be the best that they could be. The bands stuck together and helped one another and in so doing managed to capture something special that remains like a guarded secret to this day.

Now, we’re almost three decades on and the raw energy and determination that powered the music can still be detected. Those releases are widely considered modern classics and they still pack the same power close to 30 years later. The bands and their releases that hail from that scene deserve to be explored. That’s where “Underground Civilization” comes in.

Like the film’s subtitle says, “Underground Civilization” covers the death metal scene in the Washington D.C. area during the 1990s. It’s a remarkably well-crafted tribute to a remarkable scene. Defined by a slew of incredibly solid regional bands there are three groups—Deceased, Morbius, and Abominog—who emerged and created some of the most interesting music of the time and came of age within its realm. These are the three bands that the movie shines the brightest light on.

The story that “Underground Civilization” tells is pretty straightforward and easy to stay on board with throughout its duration. It’s re-counted with a linear course that chronicles the events of the days, through the years, cohesively. That speaks to the level of storytelling ability had by first-time filmmakers Matt and Andy Sylvester who shot, handled, and arranged the film’s continuity with skill that’s beyond their experience. As a result, a person doesn’t necessarily have to be interested in death metal or the bands per se in order to hold interest and get something from the film.

As one might expect, there’s a wealth of old, classic video footage from the late-1980s up toward the end of the ‘90s that’s included. Keeping in mind that most of it was taken more than two decades ago, the footage is of great visual integrity. It’s interwoven between copious first-hand recollections via the interviews that’re situated all through the movie. Along for the trip, to help tell the story, is a cast of characters that either witnessed the developments or were direct participants in the chaos during those defining years. In addition to the filmmakers Andy and Matt Sylvester, who were both members of Morbius, the movie’s cast includes King Fowley (Deceased/Doomstone), Doug Southern (ex-Deceased), Mike Bossier (Oblivion/Oblivion Studio), Chris Yuastella and Pete Reid (Abominog), then Jason Weir and  V. Bee Somphone (Morbius) among others.

The film’s got a strong score that’s comprised of all three bands. It’s all fitting because the same aforementioned energy and determination in the music is carried over and bleeds all through the film. The music used in the score could be easily compiled into an effective soundtrack. Though it hasn’t been done, the music would make for a killer inclusion as a bonus CD of some sort.

There’s a scene in the movie where Deceased’s drummer and vocalist King Fowley recalls how a lot of the established bands from larger areas—Revenant, Ripping Corpse, Nocturnus, Human Remains—acknowledged that there was something special about the D.C area scene at the time. That in itself is a glaring testament to the significance of that area, to the bands who participated in it, and how special and contributory it was, along with what it still means to people today.

“Underground Civilization,” as a retrospective, manages to be rightly nostalgic without pandering to an idea that’s loaded down with mawkish nostalgia. Its honesty is one of its virtues. So many films like this tend to recall the memories and tell their stories through rose-tinted lenses and paint the picture with strokes of romanticism and idealization. Part of the fundamental rawness of “Underground Civilization” is derived from the honesty about the good and the bad. The film isn’t interested in glossing things over for the sake of outward appearances of the tight-knit collective decades ago. It’s a warts-and-all affair. The personal touches that Matt and Andy lay on the film show their deep commitment to their subjects and to telling a great story. It makes obvious sense, as they were an integral part of their scene. Additionally, though, their storytelling helps separate “Underground Civilization” from a lot of other documentaries that would be similar.

The movie had its premiere at E-Street Cinema on March 30th, 2017. Even though the film has been out since 2017, there are still a few copies of the exclusive Blu-ray discs available. While there are tentative plans for a standard DVD edition of “Underground Civilization,” the Blu-ray disc is still a very viable option but once they’re gone, they’re absolutely gone, never to return. It’d be a shame to allow this document of a once-thriving operation that introduced the collective scene worldwide to some of the most exceptionally dedicated bands to surface from the vital American death metal underground to go unexplored.

Check out an interview with Matt Sylvester here. You can find Blue Ibis Films on their official website. If you’d like to see a list of Blue Ibis projects, go here. For ordering information, contact Matt (CEO) or Andy Sylvester (President) for all of the logistics.