Incredible really to think that the fetid gentlemen from Exhumed have been plying their wares since 1990. Since that time, of course, they’ve had a lot of line-up changes, including members past and present from bands like Impaled, Intronaut and many other outfits that do not begin with the letter “i”. From the very beginning, Exhumed have been one of those bands that wear the gore clearly on their sleeves, being an early Carcass influenced very violent, grinding and downright unpleasant death metal crew. I came to them on their second full length album, “Slaughtercult” from 2000 (limited edition circular-saw blade shaped CD!), and delved into “Gore Metal” before then. From that point on, I was a fan of their larger than life, over the top explorations of all things necrotic.
“To the Dead” is pretty much a celebration of everything that makes Exhumed great. Matt Harvey, band leader, vocals and guitar (as well as being in the tremendous proto-death metal band, Gruesome) says, “We’ve expanded the writing team on the record to include former members Mike Beams, Leon del Muerte, Matt Widener and Bud Burke in an effort to celebrate the band’s history – at this point decades of it – and I think the resulting record is an excellent testament to the surprising longevity of Gore Fucking Metal! “. This album also features as full time members the tremendous skills of Ross Sewage (Impaled, Ghoul), Mike Hamilton on drums (Deeds of Flesh), and Seb Phillips on axe, formerly of Necropsy and Gruesome (live). So now we know that the pedigree of the band for all things extreme is there. But what of the music?
As odd as it may sound for something that is so unrelentingly heavy, “To the Dead” is the most fun that I’ve had with an Exhumed album from the first listen. The Symphonies of Sickness era-Carcass influences are all there, present and correct, from the dual vocals through to the sinister slowing of the music from the ferocious blur, allowing some truly brilliant solos to take place. I was listening to third track, “Carbonized”, with an unholy marriage of light-speed riffing that finally gives way to an infectious chorus, when I realised that the song writing had put a massive smile on my face. This stuff absolutely shreds. “Undertaking the Overkilled”, (no, I have no idea either), is another track which really sticks in the mind. With a fantastic main hook, and relentless battering from the rhythm section, when this slows down for the main chorus, you won’t be able to help yourself from wanting to bang your head. It’s the kind of track that makes you want to thank fate that you ended up as an extreme music fan.
Of course, the video track for the album, “Drained of Color” is anthemic right from the first riff. It’s so good, I’m inclined to forgive the band for misspelling “Colour”. “No Headstone Unturned” has a cool, almost thrash Deceased-like quality to it, whilst album closer “Disgusted” is the aural equivalent of knocking Tyson Fury’s pint over and calling him a slap-head. There isn’t a single duff track to be found among the 11 presented here for your listening pleasure, and it’s an excellent job in terms of the overall production. Earlier Exhumed could sound – well – a bit murky to my ears, but here everything has the surgical sharpness you’d expect from a band this gory, but without losing the vile and frankly seedy over-wash of the filth and depravity. Put rather simply, this is Exhumed at their most Exhumed, and at their best Exhumed.
Essential for heavy-seekers.
(9/10 Chris Davison)
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