Majestic death metal? It’s not a term applied by the band to themselves but a moniker I like to apply to many bands on the Osmose label even though I only thought Vital Remains was the only band on the roster. What the fuck do I know? Majestic death metal is that kind of music that brings to mind images of ancient wars, of regal kings on the battlefield, of thousands of men fighting on a grey field. One would think that a band that could bring to mind such images would be awesome but this is more of a concern of taste.

Man, there is more shredding on this album than at the Sorrento cheese factory. The riffs just seem to blaze by with infinite speed. And let me emphasize "blaze by" because this makes direct reference to the band’s ability to write memorable songs. The members of this band are extremely talented indeed but the songwriting is mediocre at best. It could be that I have a problem with this style of death metal. It makes me want to make an awkward parallel to when the Macy’s and J.C. Penny catalogs meant something. Back in junior high, these catalogs were the prime source for jack material. Average women in lingerie could give you solid wood in no time. But as time wore on, it just didn’t have the effect it once did. It was a sad day when one of these catalogs just led to a major softee and many tears. Now, full nudity and sex in full color is the only thing that will do the trick. Latin women with large asses, chunky co-eds with massive natural breasts and bj point of view videos are the only things that are effective. Why do I mention such nonsense? It all has a point my friend. In the mid 90s, bands like Vader, Nile, Angel Corpse, and Krisiun, were quite the rage. With the exception of Vader (because I never liked them), bands that played a type of death metal which consisted of non-stop shredding and thousands of notes, I found to be brutal and innovative. As time wore on, their charms began to wear off and I enjoyed the simpler yet heavier style of death metal much more. I needed slower riffs, more gurgled vocals, and more nudity. In essence, the style played by Exmortem may have been enjoyable to me back in the day but not today.

I have to admit that the second song on the disc was good. There was a lot of shredding but there were interludes of bizarre and nasty chord structures. As the album continued, these interludes dissipated and the listener was left with all shredding, with a black metal tinge, if I might add. If this style is your "shit," by all means go out and buy this album. It’s fast but that’s about it.

Written By: Double Ds