voila_la_scorie Begrime Exemious are said to have started out as a death metal/black metal band, but listening to this album, their third full-length, I'd say they are pure old school death metal.

The music is intense and brutal with typical, barely comprehensible guttural vocals. The tempos alternate between speedy and more mid-tempo where they can blast you with heavy riffs. There are times when the rhythm or riffs abruptly change. The lead guitar goes melodic at times and tends to avoid dive bombs. The band this album most reminds me of is perhaps Dismember, but it's also a lot like other classic Swedish death metal bands.

The track "Conscription Woes" is a great example of that thundering, pummeling, not-too-fast death metal that drops in a killer riff with some very tasty wah-wah guitar effect. "Noose for a Monarch" is also a ripper with a killer riff.

Many of the songs seem to start right away, like the producer yelled, "Go!" as he pressed the recording button. There's a real feeling of haste! "Crusade Towards Self-Destruction" is also mentioned in my notes as being great.

The final track, "When the Vultures Leave" is unusual because it fades in and at the end, fades out again. But it's a killer track that reminds me of watching massive boulders fall on a mountainside village.

This album impresses me every time I listen to it. So, I've decided to get the one before this one too!