Band:	Extol
Album:	Extol
Style:	Extreme progressive metal
Release date:	June 21, 2013
Guest review by:	Karlabos

01. Betrayal
02. Open The Gates
03. Wastelands
04. A Gift Beyond Human Reach
05. Faltering Moves
06. Behold The Sun
07. Dawn Of Redemption
08. Ministers
09. Extol
10. Unveiling The Obscure

This Norwegian progressive extreme metal group hasn't released something solid since 2005. And when I heard that they have returned in 2012 with the news that they were recording a new album, I honestly didn't mind much, because after what they did with The Blueprint Dives, I already had lost all hope for them. I thought that if it was for me to have another disappointment it would be better if I didn't hear it at all.

Guess what: I was WRONG! Should have heard it sooner. I must redeem myself.

On this album the old Extol you met, yes, that same band who recorded Burial and Undeceived are back, and this time without the emo bullshit. (sorry the emo fans...). You can hear their typical guitars and their tremolo picking, as well as the good old and well produced harsh vocals of Peter Espevoll, the same way as they used to sound before 2003. And to fulfil the nostalgic dreams of their early fans, they are back with the straight progressive death metal, with the clear sung passages and guitar solos making part of that nostalgic feeling their early albums evoked. For instance the tracks "Behold the Sun" and "Ministers" are a must hear for fans of their early stuff. They are the most similar ones to their old style, in my opinion.

I'm not saying that it's all perfect. There are still some elements that could be done better. First of all this time they don't have any lengthy tracks, none of them surpass the 6 minute mark, so you shouldn't expect long classical interludes or violins. Also it seems that they are sounding a bit lighter than before, and are more inclined to the progressive structures rather than to the death metal itself. And those melodic acoustic guitar/violin parts that were also trade marks of Extol may not be much present here. Well, not everything will sound like in the early 00's, of course. Which is the band that wants to keep auto-copying themselves anyway?

But overall, I want to say to the fans of old Extol that even if for some reason you didn't like albums like Sinergy or The Blueprint Dives, that this album is made to enjoy the old times. They may not sound completely like what they used to, but they no longer have their identity lost. I feel like the essential elements of Extol were recovered on this release.