The French technical death metallers Exocrine have crafted and unleashed some accomplished and musically adventurous outputs in the past, and this upcoming album titled Legend sees them refining their razor-sharp and crushing expression even further without necessarily venturing into new or unknown territory.
What permeates this highly enjoyable slice of fierce and aggressive metal is a sense of raw experimentation and so if twists, turns, surprises, and clever arrangements wrapped in a thick layer of heavy riffing and dark vocals sound appealing and awe-inspiring then you would be absolutely right. Despite the density of the ten compositions, nothing here is convoluted or without purpose and structure as such, but it does require time and patience on the part of the listener in order to fully digest and process its potent song material. There is also a grimy extremity to such tracks as ‘The Altar of War’ and the blistering display of malevolence named ‘Dust in the Naught’, and there are several progressive tendencies coursing through the record with them coming across as a monumental challenge or a stumbling block of sorts. In other words, one of the group’s greatest strengths lies in crafting intriguing and memorable yet gloriously complex music that retains momentum and power to enthral the listener. Many other similar-sounding outfits churn out records that occasionally turn into a meandering mess that loses the plot but not Exocrine, no sir. This stuff oozes class and professionalism.
The love of a strong, muscular riff is always intact, and the LP is shock full of skull-rattling parts that together form a fascinating odyssey (albeit a suitably short and concise one in that it clocks in at just over forty minutes in total, which is probably all that we could muster anyway considering how in-your-face Legend is). The intensity of the band’s approach to writing technically dazzling death metal with heaps of atmosphere to it undoubtedly sets them apart from many of their peers, and although I would have liked a couple of more cuts that are as sonically vast and epic in scope as the title track and ‘Life’, the material delivers chops, thrills, and delightfully ominous vibes consistently from beginning to end, and pretty much every tune hits the spot. You should take the plunge and dive into this inventive, audacious, and hard-hitting opus, but keep in mind that these guys will melt your face and break every bone in your body should you decide to do so.
Legend will be out via Season of Mist on January 26, 2024.
