Band:	Exmortus
Album:	Ride Forth
Style:	Technical thrash metal
Release date:	January 2016

01. Speed Of The Strike
02. Relentless
03. For The Horde
04. Let Us Roam
05. Black Sails
06. Hymn Of Hate
07. Appassionata
08. Death To Tyrants
09. Fire And Ice

Something about Slave To The Sword failed to capture my interest; I watched the album accumulate praises, but I never clicked with it. Evidently, Exmortus sensed my discomfort and delivered something that leaves me with no choice but to seriously reconsider my attitude towards them.

Exmortus build their sound on skeletons of intertwining thrash and power metal, managing to keep the aggression and melody in equilibrium. There is a lot to be said for riffing so technical, meticulous, and precise that it would make a Swiss watchmaker weep, though typically the search for that sound necessitates a venture into technical death metal. I love tech death as much as the next guy, of course, but Exmortus recast that technicality in a refreshingly bright manner.

A sly classical influence insinuates itself into the iron-headed charge; certain turns of musical phrase, certain runs and riffs exude a finely-tuned musicality not simply stumbled upon in nature. The guitars articulate complex concepts with exquisite quality, cementing themselves as the main draw of Ride Forth. "Appassionata" takes a risk, leaving behind the thrash and power metal templates for something classically-inspired from the ground up. Though most of these tracks work with some manner of sophisticated musical element, this one in particular embraces the classical style fully. Every instrument works in tandem to construct a truly breathtaking spectacle of sound, with particularly memorable and dynamic bass work; "Appassionata" is the sort of thing that Yngwie Malmsteen wishes he knew how to craft.

Rippling currents of supple, bone-breaking guitars rush and careen in calculated bursts around the rhythm section, which charges straight through the action like an armored column. Meanwhile, occasional shifts in drumming patterns cast new lights on the melodies - here a bright power metal gallop, there an unusual blackened beast. Conan's harsh cries match the straightforwardness of the percussion, allowing the vocals and the rhythm section to echo each other while the guitars and bass weave melodies around them. The end result sounds akin to Skeletonwitch covering Holy Grail, or perhaps vice versa.

From the raging and intricate opener, "Speed Of The Strike," to the dying screams of "Fire And Ice," Ride Forth delivers to the fullest extent the volcanic projections of energy that its title calls to mind. I seem to have underestimated Exmortus before, but after this album, I won't be doing that again.