One of my favorite releases from the early 00s metalcore explosions was Earth & Sphere from Massachusetts’ Beyond the Sixth Seal. It had some death metal beef in its traditional dual euro melodies (as well as the Red Chord‘s Mike Mckenzie on vocals), and really knocked the songwriting out of the park.

Why do I bring this up?

Well, good reader, Exsanguination features two former members of Beyond the Sixth Seal (and Sevenday Curse); drummer Brendan Roche and guitarist Justin Chapell. Oh and did I mention they play raucous, punky, sneering Swedish death metal?

Yeah, that got my attention too.

Burial Rites is the band’s second effort, and from what I can tell, the debut Spectral Hymns may have been a little more 00s metalcore based, as Burial Rites, both in songwriting and tone is a more gritty, raw, primal, blacker even, even with Chris Johnson (Cave In, Deafheaven) again at the mastering helm. It still has a nice Stockholm buzz, but it’s not Entrails or Angerot levels of heft or low end, but a more subtle slicing, rusty sound. Also, the vocals of Dan Lozzi, which are more rasped, add to that vibe.

But still, I hear some of the Beyond the Sixth Seal, metalcore/melo-death elements still here, even if rendered much more roughly.  I mean opener ” Reborn in a Casket”,  “Pleasure to End All Pleasures” and “Into the Abyss” are just a couple that jumps out.   But other tracks like killer riffs of “As the Acolytes Burn” my personal favorite”Berzerker”, with its absolutely killer solo or more Dismember-ish melodies of The Void” and closer “Devastated by Black” all bring something awesome to the table in an awesome, fun album that perfectly blends Swedish Hm2 death metal and 00s metalcore/melo-death.

My only selfish gripe is that album is a mere 25 or so minutes long and feels like an EP even with 8 songs. C’MON man, I want more of this awesomeness!!!!!

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments