Get ready to Thrash with Exhorder!
Formed in 1985 in the USA, the band was one of the pioneers of the Thrash/Groove Metal movement, but suffered various pauses and short resumptions of activity until 2017, when Kyle Thomas (vocals, Aortha, Trouble) relaunched the machine once again. Switching to guitarist/vocalist and accompanied by Jason Viebrooks (bass, ex-Heathen), Sasha Horn (drums, ex-Novembers Doom) and Pat O’Brien (guitar, ex-Cannibal Corpse, ex-Nevermore) he announced the release of Defectum Omnium, the band’s fourth album, on Nuclear Blast.
The band was also helped by Rick Wartell and Bruce Franklin, guitarists with Doom Metal pioneers Trouble.
Wrath of Prophecies attacks immediately with aggressive riffs and furious vocal parts, letting the groovy approach make the track even catchier and also allowing soaring leads. The charge picks up again, letting the band descend into madness before beginning Under the Gaslight, where vocals draw on solid Heavy influences to complement a motivating rhythm where sharp harmonics and playful drums come together with an Old School touch. Punk influences re-emerge on Forever and Beyond Despair with its boundless energy, but the track slows down to become heavier before exploding again and then joining the mysterious tones of The Tale of Unsound Minds and its first haunting riffs. The mix eventually speeds up, especially to allow an intense solo, then the sound crushes us again before disappearing to make way for the short Divide and Conquer, which wastes no time in proving its effectiveness with sharp riffs. The band follows up with Year of the Goat, where the dark introduction sweeps us right along to a lively rhythm punctuated by slower, more unifying passages that contrast with the jerky approach, then it’s with an ominous sound that Taken by Flames begins, before finally becoming wilder. The raw energy of the track is quickly infectious, and we find ourselves shaking our heads before appreciating the almost mystical ambience of Defectum Omnium – Stolen Hope, the longest composition, which begins with church choirs. The screaming guitars of course return, but the track is adorned with Doom influences, which still allow a few energetic parts to emerge before a surprising final leading to Three Stages of Truth – Lacing the Well and its gradually darkening acoustic introduction. The return of saturation is of course accompanied by pure violence, but the track remains relatively moderate and accessible, unlike Sedition, which goes back to its Punk roots to reveal all its vindictiveness. Desensitized keeps the aggressive unbridled patterns of pure Thrash, topped by the intense vocal parts, before Your Six brings the album to a close in an anguished and oppressive slowness, letting leads create more strident touches.
Exhorder confirms its strength and moves up the ranks with Defectum Omnium, a new album alternating between traditional sounds at full speed, catchy grooves and some much more original experimentation.
85/100