Exmortus - Beyond the Fall of Time

By a show of hands, how many of you have heard of Vektor? How many of you have heard of Warbringer? Well if you have heard of those two and enjoy their takes on thrash, then you will probably enjoy "Beyond the Fall of Time," Exmortus' sophomore effort. This band adds a death metal twist to their brand of thrash, much like Warbringer, but there is also the progressive and technical twist thrown in, similar to Vektor. Don't worry, this band isn't a clone of Warbringer or Vektor, but a band who has established their own sound and stands out among the thousands of thrash bands in the 21st century, just like the aforementioned bands.


Exmortus has actually drawn a pretty varied response from metalheads after the release of their debut full-length "In Hatred's Flame." There were many people that praised Exmortus for their amazing technical skill and their ability to conjure some wicked riffs, and of course there were those who criticized them. The most common complaint heard, was that Exmortus focused too much on shredding and wanking on their guitars, that they forgot about creating some actual music to accompany the endless noodling. After listening to "Beyond the Fall of Time," this issue is still present, but not to the same extent. 


In an effort to write music that shows technical prowess while simultaneously retaining an aggressive attitude, Exmortus went overboard on occasions with the technicality. Some songs seemed to drag on and lacked anything to be considered memorable or fun. At times, it would appear that the music was dominated by the solos and almost seemed like it was an Yngwie Malmsteen piece rather than a metal track. Luckily this wasn't a constant issue and the band was able to compensate with some brilliant riffs and music overall.


After the introductory instrumental "Bane Forthcoming" ends and the track "Kneel Before the Steel" kicks in, you know you're about to go for a ride. The reason Exmortus is so dynamic isn't because of the amount of skill they portray on their lead guitar work, but because of the awesome riffs that can be found throughout "Beyond the Fall of Time." The riffs are pretty technical, but catchy at the same time. The riffs in "Kneel Before the Steel" and "Destroy" are sure to get the listener's headbanging. Along with the Coroner-esque riffs, Exmortus also weaves in great melodies and of course, the guitar solos. (The ones that fit the music and didn't dominate the song).


"Beyond the Fall of Time" provides a nice breath of fresh air with its awesome riffs, melodies and everything else that contributes to the overall sound. (Drumming, vocals, solos, structuring, etc). If Exmortus could place more emphasis on making a catchy and memorable song that kept the listener's attention all the way through rather than trying to fit in as many solos as possible, they could easily rise to the top of today's scene. The best tracks are definitely "Kneel Before the Steel" and "Entombed With the Pharoahs."


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https://www.facebook.com/exmortusoffical

Final Rating - 4.1/5 or 82%.