J-Man In the last year, I've heard more Indian metal than I thought I would ever hear in my life - the amount of quality bands coming from that region right now is truly remarkable. Exhumation is not really a "new" band (they've been around since 2002), but I haven't checked them out until the release of Consider This. This band consists of ex-members of Demonic Resurrection (a band I think very highly of), but the music itself has little in common with their symphonic/progressive blackened death metal brethren. Exhumation favors a more traditional death metal sound, and delivers the style professionally and with confidence. Consider This isn't a flawless album by any means, but it's a solid death metal album and, especially for a free download from the band's ReverbNation page, it's worth a shot.

The music here is old school death metal with some more polished and technical edges. I'm reminded of bands like Suffocation and Deicide when listening to Exhumation's Consider This. This isn't the most unique band in the world, but they're a group of talented musicians who certainly know how to play with confidence and power. My biggest complaint when listening to Consider This is that it's lacking a bit in the "memorable compositions" department. When I finish listening to the album, only a handful or riffs really stick with me; that's a problem when we're talking about a 27 minute album. Thankfully, the high-quality musicianship and crystal-clear production save this album from coming across as "weak" in the end.

I wasn't completely blown away by Consider This, but it does show a quality death metal band with tons of promise. Fans of old school death metal with technical twists should dig this one. A more unique sound and developed compositions will do Exhumation justice in the future, but Consider This is still a solid and promising offering. This seldom reaches excellence, and since it also seldom falls into a "below average" category, a solid 3 stars are deserved. Although this band may still have a few "kinks" to work out, I'm excited to hear what more they have to offer!