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Review: Exmortus - In Hatred's Flame
Exmortus
exmortusmusic.com
In Hatred's Flame

Label: Heavy Artillery
Year released: 2008
Duration: 42:55
Tracks: 11
Genre: Death/Thrash

Rating:
4.5/5


Review online: October 15, 2008
Reviewed by: Lars Christiansen
Readers' Rating
How do you rate this release?

Rated 4.14/5 (82.7%) (37 Votes)
Review

It's not very often you stick a promo CD into your CD player and expect to be blown away by what you're hearing. Of course, it does occasionally happen, but at best you generally get a decent to good album. At worst, you're generally sat checking your watch, trying to stop yourself from clicking the skip track button. Exmortus, however have managed to impress me so much within the very first listen of this album that I needed to go for a lay down afterwards from excess headbanging and horn throwing.

Starting out in 2003, this is their debut album (which seemingly features tracks from their 2007 EP which shares this album's name), and boy, impressive isn't a strong enough word. These guys mix Thrash with Death Metal like true masters of both genres, pumping in Santolla-era Deicide extremity and melody with the base fist pumping power of any of the new school Thrash bands. It is the Death Metal aspects of their music that often take the forefront with blasting drums and crushing riffs blasting you from all angles, but it's not you're regular styled Death Metal. Oh no, this is so packed with melody that it even recalls the likes of Maiden (yes, they've definitely been influenced by the Gotenburg scene, but it's seriously more pumped up neo-classical Maiden than any of your average Swedish melodeath material).

Did I mention the solos? These guys rip and shred with the best of them, but their solo work is outstanding, especially the solo trade offs (which at times go on for a fair while — awesome!). However, it's the fact that they're technically superior with the songwriting abilities to boot that make them so good. This, as well as the ability to mix in the heaviness with such an abundance of melody without all your teeth rotting out afterwards - makes for a winning combination. Excellent stuff.

More about Exmortus...
Review: In Hatred's Flame (reviewed by Hermer Arroyo)
Review: Ride Forth (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Slave to the Sword (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: The Sound of Steel (reviewed by Bruno Medeiros)
Interview with vocalist and guitarist Jadran "Conan" Gonzalez on June 10, 2014 (Interviewed by Luxi Lahtinen)
Interview with vocalist and guitarist Jadran "Conan" Gonzalez on June 17, 2017 (Interviewed by Luxi Lahtinen)
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