Does anybody remember the days of old, when bands used to go for technical proficiency with their instruments? And I don’t mean bands that were Progressive or Technical. I mean bands with guitarist like Skulnick, Marty Friedman, and the ever immortal shredster Yngwie Malmsteem? when tapping was simply a way to work into the next couple thousand notes that just made your speakers weep with exhaustion when you finally passed out from headbanging to the beat? I do. And I finally found a band that does too! they are Exmortus, and they kick all the ass.
Featuring the amazing talents of Mark Mortus (Drums), Conan (Guitars and Vocals), David Rivera (Guitar and Vocals), and the newest addition (2013-now), Jovanni Perez (Bass), these guys are a metalhead’s wet dream not featuring 1984 Tawny Kitaen and a white sports car. These guys are ahead of every other thrash band on the market, barring Testament and Megadeth and most of the Old School bands, who also have classic guitar masters on their rosters and who routinely do classic shred and riff master classes on their albums. From the intro of Rising to the last shrieking note of Metal is King, they fit more notes than most power metal bands. In fact, they have a better basis in power metal than many current bands. They are a thrash act who paid attention in music class, and actually might have opened the book a couple times.
The real style is noted as Melodic Thrash, but it could much more accurately be described as Power Thrash or Battle Metal. Mr. Malmsteem could not honestly be doing a better job on axe duty for a metal band, and that says a lot. They have the solid music structure, completely staying away from the CHUGGA-CHUGGA style that some thrash and speed bands interject, replacing it with tons of harmonizing and scale runs. Their frets must be so worn…. This is a band composed of Skwisgars, with a slightly less aggressive Nathan Explosion on vocals. Speaking of, this is where they also are very different from the other bands of similar sound, with a vocalist who has the gruff, gravelly sound instead of high falsettos and soaring notes associated with them. Not saying there are no trad vocals, but they are used as a highlight to the darker vocals. This band had me hooked from the first 10 seconds and beyond. This album is awesome the whole way through, no skips.
Now, speaking of how the album is, its almost flawless. Almost, and that’s because of how high they eventually take you. They carry you upon Icarus’ wax wings, so close to metal nirvana, with the song Moonlight Sonata (Act 3). This song is perfection incarnate, and you can’t tell me anybody else can perform this song anymore perfectly. I will put my fingers into my ears and wish you a fiery death by Cyrus Wrecking Ball. and that is where the problem, for me, lies. The next song, Battle Born, just simply isn’t the song that should follow such a barn burner as Moonlight, as it just doesn’t take you as high into ecstasy. It sounds just kind of bland after the display that the preceding song puts on and falls flat to my ears. It is in no way a bad song, far from it. It just doesn’t flow after and that is completely my opinion. It in no way brings this album down, I just am prepared for the come down after about 3 full listens to this record. If you want something different, something that will just give you all sorts of tingles, give Slave to the Swordby Exmortus a spin. You can do very much worse than jam out to some ripping good thrash with a brain!
Jam Footage video of them playing “Immortality Made Flesh” off Slave to the Sword
