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Horrendous - Ecdysis review




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Reviewer:
9.0

112 users:
8.12
Band: Horrendous
Album: Ecdysis
Release date: October 2014


01. The Stranger
02. Weeping Relic
03. Heaven's Deceit
04. Resonator
05. The Vermillion
06. Nepenthe
07. Monarch
08. When The Walls Fell
09. Pavor Nocturnus
10. Titan

I know I also have other stuff to review, but really it's hard to stop listening to this album. This is about Horrendous' new album Ecdysis. Weird title, it describes the process of moulting, as Wikipedia tells me as a non-native English speaker. However I didn't know about this band before and to be honest I don't know much about classical death metal in general, but I know that this album rocks your socks. These guys hail from the USA and it's their second record.

What I often don't like about modern death metal is its slowing heaviness. Guitars tuned down to A or at least B, crushing headbangable but yet somewhat slow riffs, as seen in Kataklysm's latest efforts for example. It's good music, but lacks some pace and awesomeness. This is where a different approach kicks in, here in a form presented by Horrendous. Dynamic, yet still heavy music with some melodic objections. At some points dark, at others chaotic and wild. Ecdysis really amazes me.

This album has 10 songs and runs for about three quarters of an hour. Starting off with the longest song, "The Stranger" already shows most of the tempos the band is capable of playing. Doomy guitars and drums lead the first minutes, right before the music goes nuts and binds every headbanger. There are fast melodic parts in some songs that feel like driving full speed on a narrow ridge, where you are bound in amazement but know that a single misplaced note could destroy it all now. Yet this never happens, you get to the other side and still tremble with adrenaline. This is where the heaviness and darkness settles you again and prepares you for the next ride. Meanwhile, the vocals guide you through the journey. There are two vocalists in this band, who also play the guitars. I can't tell which voice is which person, but one has very tortured black metal attributes, while the other provides simply good and raw death metal vocals.

What makes this album great is its heavy metalish bass and soloing. The bass is more than a foundation here, taking control of the music at times and loudly supporting it in the low frequencies while the guitars are on a higher journey. Both guitars aren't tuned down more than a few steps, or at least they don't use it most of the time. Just one of the points indicating that Horrendous don't give a damn about conventions and rather stay rebellious. Other examples include the two instrumental tracks, which really add something to this record.

So could Ecdysis be something for you? If you are fan of death metal, yes. If you are fan of heavy metal or hard rock, try it out as well. After thinking for some minutes I figured that I can't pick any favourite songs here, as the band plays on a too constant, high level. And now I have to stop and concentrate on the next reviews... shit.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 9
Originality: 8
Production: 9

Written by Windrider | 19.08.2014




Comments

Comments: 6   Visited by: 268 users
20.08.2014 - 03:25
Rating: 10
Alex F
Slick Dick Rick
Sounds interesting. I know I listened to their debut, but I don't remember what I thought of it. Hopefully this will make more of an impression
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20.08.2014 - 05:01
Rating: 8
JayMo4

Listened to the track they have posted on youtube and it sounds very promising. Looking forward to hearing more!
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20.08.2014 - 08:07
Rating: 9
Nefarious
Doom Knight
I've only managed to give the album a couple of spins so far but I've enjoyed it immensely. I'll admit I haven't heard their debut so I'm not sure how it compares to that, but I'm really digging this a lot.
----
"FUCK!!! You're the fucking 5th person asking me in an interview about the woman in the bathtub?The problem is that I AM the fucking person in the bathtub, and I AM a fucking MAN, for fuck's sake! I hate you all!" ~ Herr Morbid
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22.08.2014 - 02:52
Rating: 8
Rulatore

I hope this is good. And I'm glad they didnt take the path of Morbus Chron or Tribulation, that would suck hard.
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22.08.2014 - 11:26
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Rulatore on 22.08.2014 at 02:52

I hope this is good. And I'm glad they didnt take the path of Morbus Chron or Tribulation, that would suck hard.


yet both MC and Tribulation have improved immensely and have become way more interesting than what they used to play before, standard fair derivative osdm (albiet good derivative stuff)
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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22.08.2014 - 17:34
Rating: 8
Rulatore

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 22.08.2014 at 11:26

Written by Rulatore on 22.08.2014 at 02:52

I hope this is good. And I'm glad they didnt take the path of Morbus Chron or Tribulation, that would suck hard.


yet both MC and Tribulation have improved immensely and have become way more interesting than what they used to play before, standard fair derivative osdm (albiet good derivative stuff)

I know that some really liked hehe. I tried that too, but id didnt appeal to me.
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