Time Signature Through the ears of the dead...

Genre: death metal

I really love Hell's Headbangers Records for being a label not afraid to release filthy and dirty music, and, while the full length releases by the artists on their roster are of course the main attractions, Hell's Headbangers actually release a lot of really interesting underground-styled relases such as splits, EPs, and reissued demos. One such release is the Crucified Mortals and Exorcism split, simply marketed as the Split 7".

The EP contains four songs distributed over three tracks, because the two Crucified Mortals-songs are contained within one track, while Exorcism's two songs are given a track each.

The Exercism tracks are described as "rotten, red-eyed death metal", and that's as good a description as any. The two tracks are completely old school and primitive. Capturing the dirty energy of late 80s early 90s death metal, the two tracks are have a certain demo tape qality to them. Firstly, the production is raw and lo-fi. Secondly, the two tracks are performed with the same sloppiness as your favorite old school death metal releases. This means that younger listeners should probably give the two tracks a couple of listens to get adjusted to their primitivity, while first generation death metal fans will probably shed a tear of nostalgy, as their hear the evil galloping riffs of 'Through the Eyes of the Dead' or the arch-deathmetallic histrionics of the 56-seconds long (short!) 'Failed Exhumation'.

The two Exorcism-tracks are primarily a trip down memory lane, and they successfully capture the sprit of the extreme metal scene of the late 80s and early 90s. Fans of old school death metal are bound to enjoy Exorcism's contributions to this split in all their primitive rawness.