Death metal legends Exmortis from Maryland have reformed and are still decimating the underground, as they had for nearly 25-years. These guys were a huge part of my youth with their demos finding their way into my collection and getting a few tape spins over the years. It’s good to see the old guard not only hanging in the fight, but still producing music that makes these clueless upstarts stop and gasp for baited breath.     

This EP in Resurrection…the Book of the Dead provides a death metal jolt to the system already too beleaguered with too many nu-metal bands attempting to claim the DM tag. Exmortis is one of the bands that prove it’s not so easy to just meander into the movement and claim territory without settling the regional grass roots first. The songs on this mini shatter the spinal cord in ferocious style that only this band can produce in line with its capable history. Brian Werking still has all of the elemental tools to thrive in this capacity, shouting throaty predictions of mass slaughter and pained, augmented existences. While retaining all of the prowess and directional integrity of the formative years, Exmortis provides a brutal and punishing venture into the death metal camp that lays waste to virtually everything in its way. This is the very type of deadly metal music that the movement was built upon, and anything less is pale imitation.

The production shows a genuine attentiveness to the sound being totally fluid with all instruments given viable notice throughout. I love the guitar riffs here, especially in “Deep Red” and “The Slaughter Begins”, but to be completely honest there isn’t a weak track or filler anywhere to be found. I’m not sure why Exmortis never found that total underground success that they surely deserved, but the legions of fans that still covet those early demos and EP’s are oldsters like myself who are thrilled that they not only still play, but play so damn well! The band appears tight and well-oiled, showcasing a sincere lack of peripheral distractions all too often associated with the old guard attempting to rework its laboring past. What you get on this EP and with Exmortis in general is total and unwavering power from the gut.

Without giving way to the nuances and antics of newer bands seeking the quick attention-grabbing trickery that masks otherwise redundant tunes, Exmortis still carries the flag for us all, we tired and weary souls in need of some past glories to remind us exactly where we all come from.  

TRACK LISTING

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*Comments:

1.  Creation (Intro)
2.  Book of the Dead
3.  The Slaughter Begins
4.  And There Was Pain
5.  Deep Red
6.  Parade of Chanting Ancients

Total playing time:  17:56

Release Date: December 20, 2011
Label: Xtreem Music

Exmortis - Resurrection...Book of the Dead EP

Reviewer: Chris

January 2, 2012