In the words of Den Dennis: ‘Here comes the beast again’. Two years on from their grizzly comeback album ‘All Guts, No Glory’, Exhumed has returned to wreak havoc on the world of the living once again. That previous musical statement – which mixed the melody of ‘Anatomy Is Destiny’ with the frantic lunacy of the first two albums – certainly hit the spot for anyone craving giblets. Before allowing this new one to assault me for the first time, a couple of aspects around the album had me wondering. First up was the artwork, with its Soviet-styled script and understated cover art. All a bit subtle for these fellows, isn’t it? Second, was the fact that the majority of tracks clock in at around the four minute mark. While I have no worries about this band’s ability to craft awesome tracks, could longer songs mean a return to those expanding aspirations of 2003??
With regard to the first of those curious points, the whole dictatorial image is part of Exhumed’s ‘Necrocratic’ vision of a political landscape in which the one true master is death itself. In terms of the second, the tracks are definitely more cultivated. Where ‘Anatomy…’ incorporated sophistication into the usual gory mix, however, this comes across as more contained than anything they have so far produced. ‘Coins Upon the Eyes’ sets the tone, merging melody with flashes of that rot ‘n’ roll which Carcass pioneered on their last releases. Obviously the result is far more pleasing on the ears than dirty or mental, and it’s really left to the solo section to raise the stakes. Matt Harvey never disappoints on that front, and neither it seems does Bud Burke – back with the band after his initial four year stint at the turn of the century. With ‘The Shape of Deaths to Come’, the comparisons only increase, with the music again hinging on a methodical creeping guitar line/melody approach reminiscent of – no, make that identical to – latter Carcass.
Okay, so a ‘Heartwork’-esque riff sandwich featuring controlled bursts of aggression is far from being the worst thing in the world, and there are some very cool aspects. Among them, the snaking riffs of the title track – perhaps inspired by the nature of your average politician. There are even some brief grinding sections during this number but almost like a motif of the album as a whole, the solo section stands out with soulful leads shrieking and soaring. The one predominantly fast song, featuring speedy riffs, numbskull skin beating and trade-off vocals is ‘Sickened’. Otherwise, it’s left to bits like the eerie mid-section break in ‘Dysmorphic’ or the storming main riff of ‘(So Passes) The Glory of Death’ to arouse admiration rather than the sheer lunacy usually associated with this band’s material. What elevates Exhumed above your average death metal band (surprise, surprise) is their outstanding guitar interplay. ‘The Ravening’ is one of the album’s highlights due to it, while the closing tracks also benefit greatly from some infectious riffs and nuances.
So to sum up… Good production? Yeah. Good playing? Yeah. Good album? Yeah. BUT by Exhumed standards, it’s very far from the lofty heights of gore set on previous releases. While redundant to expect the same album again and again, I’m still quite surprised at this approach given how well the back-to-basics feel of ‘All Guts…’ resurrected the beast. For me, Exhumed at its best is three things: filthy, crazed and furious; this is something quite different, and merely hints at the above. There’s no questioning the quality of ‘Necrocracy’, but the slowed-down compositions and generally subdued feel mean that it never ignites in the way that I hoped it would – kind of like the second Dekapitator album.
(7/10 Jamie)
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