Exhumed: Necrocracy

Exhumed is well known for their gore-infused lyrics. At times, the disgusting and abject images and scenes they depict may be awful, even offensive. But, as Matt Harvey mentions (as quoted on the band's Wikipedia page), most of the gore actually serves a metaphorical purpose, a symbolic means to comment on the conditions of the world without falling into a mindless screed. Similarly, horror movies have long known that gore has many purposes, some of which may be symbolic or metaphorical. Whatever their purpose, gory imagery is really hard to ignore. It grabs people's attention and doesn't let go, kind of like the way most people can't drive by the scene of a serious car accident and not look. To put it another way, things like blood, feces, entrails, snot, and urine—some of the most abject elements of the body—often serve as an excuse to reflect on what it means to be human, on death, and on culture.

As for Necrocracy, it's a solid new release, one that is definitely worth a listen. Exhumed isn't trying to reinvent the wheel or anything, but they've technically been around for a long time and have made a contribution to this style of playing in the past. With these new releases, the band demonstrates that they still have what it takes to make a strong impression. I was especially impressed with the guitar solos on this album. They are always impressive and slick and sound great. My favorite leads were on "Sickened" and "The Rotting" but any of the songs on this album show off strong guitar playing. I was especially happy that the guitar solos added a touch of melody to everything. Equally cool, many of the guitar leads regularly sound a little like Chuck Schuldiner work with Death, particularly on the last four albums. Check out tracks like "The Shape of Deaths to Come," "Necrocracy," and "Ravening" for a couple of examples.

On the whole, this is a solid new release by a band that's currently enjoying a new lease on life.

Track Listing:
1. Coins Upon the Eyes
2. The Shape of Deaths to Come
3. Necrocracy
4. Dysmorphic
5. Sickened
6. (So Passes) The Glory of Death
7. Ravening
8. Carrion Call
9. The Rotting

Added: September 4th 2013
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 2086
Language: english

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