Ektomorf: Aggressor

Fans of Cannibal Corpse will enjoy "Evil by Nature," a track that features vocals by Corpsegrinder. It's a good track and the vocals sound great. For those less inclined toward Cannibal Corpse, don't worry about it; this album isn't trying to play by the same rules as that notorious band. Ektomorf, a Hungarian extreme metal band, draws its focus from other sources, places not informed by the need to shock suburban American housewives or the talking heads on conservative television programs. Instead, "Zoli," the songwriter and head of Ektomorf, reflects on a variety of emotions. As the album title suggests, much of this comes from a place of anger and a desire to push back against oppression, prejudice, and fear. But this album isn't all about anger and aggression and reaction. Yes, the music is brutal and extreme in all the ways you'd expect, but there are occasional moments that seem more personal and reflective, considerations of the pain one receives from experiencing the challenging things of the world. "Scars," for example, weighs in on the problem of understanding how old wounds shape us, often in sudden and dramatic ways. For every reflective moment, though, there are several instances, as in "You're Not For Me," that push against other humans for their hurtful behavior or toxic personalities.

A neo-thrash band, Ektomorf brings groove and anger and speed to its music. I admired the band's heaviness and found the lyrics sometimes interesting and sometimes simply angry. Even if there is a slightly limited range in the lyrics—anger only takes things so far—the music is often independently engaging. The band often adds layers of groove to things, jamming moments that weave new ideas into things. Zoli credits his gypsy background for much of the musical variety here. Check out "Memento" for an example of how that sounds in its most straightforward version. An acoustic track, "Memento" shows a band reaching beyond extreme metal into something more folk-oriented. Fortunately, it suits the album well. Zoli writes perfectly good extreme metal songs, but he is unafraid, as noted above, of playing with conventions just enough to give things an extra edge. To my mind, Ektomorf is a considerable force in the extreme metal world, a band well worth the effort to discover.

Track Listing:
1. Intro
2. I
3. Aggressor
4. Holocaust
5. Move On
6. Evil by Nature
7. You Can't Get Me
8. Emotionless World
9. Eastside
10. Scars
11. Damned Nation
12. You Lost
13. You're Not For Me
14. Memento

Added: December 18th 2015
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 1623
Language: english

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