Exmortus (review by MMB)

Exmortus

The Sound of Steel

Prosthetic Records

8 June 2018

Exmortus has succeeded exceedingly well in finding for itself a place, a niche that they call their own, and it turns out that they are pretty unique at what they do. The Californians have been doing it for more than 15 years now. The neoclassical shredding extreme metal of Exmortus—a sort of combination of Yngwie Malmsteen-style virtuosity injected into veins of blazing thrash with growled vocals—is very entertaining, especially if one is searching for a band that is determined to be really good at their instruments with concise and impactful songs.

Exmortus is one big celebration of all things guitars, and it is the flagship of their sound. The tightness of the drumming and the personal style found in the drumming is very entertaining, too, and it is a treat on the ears. The vocals are pleasant on the ears, too. It is growling, but it is not screaming, and it is not shouting and yelling. It’s a gruff yet nice tone that can sometimes seem percussive, actually.

It sure seems like the band is doing well and has been achieving a good amount of success, and they keep on releasing the albums, each time turning in a significant new chapter in their story of neoclassical shred extreme metal. In 2018 who would get a kick out of this new title? Perhaps thrash fans are an obvious bunch. The energy of the music certainly points in that direction. Yet, fans of traditional metal styles might grab on to the skills in the songwriting. Considering what is the main attraction on here, the widest net that could be cast may apply to anyone that is into serious guitar. The biggest strength of the album consists of the band’s experience in having discovered the line that they walk the best between various traditions and genres, having more than plenty of intensity and speed for fans of thrash and death, while remembering well why most people, including fans of traditional and virtuoso metal, would support this band: the memorable songs.

exmortus-official.bandcamp.com