I'd like to preface this by saying that I made my "Top 10 Albums of 2013" list before I got a chance to dedicate some time to listening to this album (you can watch the video of my selections here). Obviously it would be a bit pointless re-doing this list... BUT if I could go back and change it, Wormed- Exodromos would, without a doubt, be in the top 5 bracket of the list.
As a big death metal fan, I have found, as time goes on, that in some ways it becomes slightly harder to find death metal albums that are able to give you same thrill and have the "wow factor" of your first exposure to the genre. Initially it can take some getting used to the very guttural vocal style, the intense, fast paced, intricate guitar work and almost ridiculously fast blast beats on the drums, especially in modern death metal and technical death metal. But once it "clicks", these traits become exhilarating and leave you thirsting for more, putting you on the insatiable quest for more rapid double kick drums and sick riffage. As time goes by though, that initial thrill begins to wear off and, in order to enjoy albums within the sub genres of death metal, you need to look beyond the face value instrumental characteristics. Yes, you can play me a blast beat at 280bpm but if it is not doing anything in terms of progressing the song or emphasising certain passages within the song, then it can come across as a bit gratuitous occasionally. I also find that as time has passed, I am now less enamoured with shredding/soloing/general high register fretboard wankery in death metal (Necrophagist for example). While there are times where it does work exceptionally well, I do not think it's necessary or mandatory at all times within the genre.
So why am I saying all of this? Well, Exodoromos, the second full length LP from this Spanish death metal behemoth managed to successfully incorporate the speed, technicality and sheer brutality that would be expected in death metal while presenting it in a unique way which can't help but catch your attention.
It is obvious right from the outset that this is an LP which is far more focused on the rhythmic and technical side of death metal, rather than being a guitarist's showmanship. I'm loving the detailed, heavy guitar work and the erratic structure introduced on the opener Nucleon and this is a constant feature throughout this LP. The shifts in tempo, time signatures, rhythms and breaks keep you guessing, making each new song that passes as fun and unpredictable as the last. Even beyond your first listen of the album, this sporadic nature keeps Exodromos fresh and also gives it a structural quality which could be likened to grindcore and deathgrind. For this reason, a band that instantly springs to mind when it comes to comparisons is Origin. The only real changes of pace on this album are Solar Neutrinos and Darkflow Quadrivium which in a way act as a necessary breather from the unrelenting nature of the songs as well as maintaining the atmosphere of the album.
Even more importantly than the structuring, the instrumentation and sound choices really help sell this album. The intermittent gravity blasts on the snare that appear on Nucleon and are scattered on a few other songs make a heavy impact. Their appearance in short bursts puts emphasis on the power of the music. It is great that this technique is not overused because, like fast double kick drum and blast beats, it can become stale very quickly. Also, the guitars sound fantastic. Overall, the sound produced is quite ambiguous and atonal with the exception of a few riffs on the album which produces a nice tonal contrast. While this could initially make it difficult for new listeners to grasp the album, this contrast helps to keep the album engaging throughout.
On top of this, the futuristic, almost sci-fi vibe this creates is perfect when you take into account the lyrical concept of the album, focusing on the idea of the death of our solar system and an advanced human race (more information on this lyrical concept and story can be found here). Although it is not apparent on the first listen, the structure of the album is also particularly powerful in presenting this concept. Musical motifs, most notably from the songs Tautochrone, Multivectorial Reionisation, Spacetime Ekleipsis Vortice and Stellar Depopulation reappear in the closing song Xenoverse Discharger. Although it takes a few listens to grasp, this acts as the perfect way of rounding off such a busy, intricate set of songs and it goes to prove that it really is rewarding when you dedicate some time to an album of this level of musicianship.
Definite highlights for me include the atmospheric guitar break half way through Tautochrone and the squealing, bending harmonics that appear shortly after this. I absolutely dig the ending sections of Stellar Depopulation and Techkinox Wormhole. The strong galloping guitar chug over the top of the drums fit together perfectly on Depopulation and the fast staccato, odd time hammer blasts on the drums that slowly fade on Wormhole really takes you by surprise.
One thing that is worth mentioning is the vocal style which there seems to be a polar reaction to. For some, it really makes the album, for others, they have severe difficulty getting past the sound. If you had to describe it, it's somewhere in between an undecipherable low guttural and pig squeal. In the context of the music, in some ways it is safer to view the vocals as another percussive device and, to me at least, it aids in the futuristic aesthetic created by the concept and the guitars. If you close your eyes and concentrate really hard while listening to this album, you could imagine Predator singing these songs......
If you are a fan of death metal, this is an album that needs to be in your collection. It is as unrelenting and brutal as it is intricate, diverse and sporadic which is a welcome change in the vast sea of technical death metal. It is certainly one of my favourite death metal albums. If you've listened to it, let me know what you think. What are your highlights? Is this album really as innovative as I'm claiming it to be? Do you prefer this style over a more old school traditional death metal sound?
Rating- 10/10
Favourite songs- Nucleon, Tautochrone, Multivectorial Reionisation, Stellar Depopulation and Xenoverse Discharger.
Least favourite songs- Spacetime Ekleipsis Vortice.
On a side note... check out those damn song titles: The Nonlocality Trilemma, Multivectorial Reionisation, Darkflow Quadrivium, Techkinox Wormhole, Xenoverse Discharger... is it just me or are those titles fucking cool as hell?
Links to their Facebook page and Youtube channel here
https://www.facebook.com/wormed?fref=ts
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPinEz4LGoq_N-3zUhBjbhA
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