ALGAION — Exthros (review)

ALGAION — Exthros album cover Album · 2010 · Melodic Black Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
2.5/5 ·
Vehemency
It would be misleading to call Algaion’s firts effort in 13 years, Exthros, a pure black metal album; what we have here instead is a dark, melodic and perhaps slightly industrialized album of black / death metal with hints of Gothenburg sound - especially in the melody department - and an overall flavour of Rotting Christ which they also cover on this album (”Sign of Evil Existence / Era of Satan Rising”).

The driving force to the album is the rather bass heavy rhythm section: Robert Eng’s kit, though too triggered to my taste, pulsates tightly and so does the down tuned rhythm guitars. On the top appears the raspy screams of Mårten Björkman, lead guitar melodies and other melody dominant sound sources such as piano (”Nature Our Slave”) or even some techno elements (”Theos Tou Aimatos”). Sound-wise, everything is done really professionally, even too professionally so that the polished sound curbs the material a bit, but all is still enjoyable despite the really modern production values.

Compositionally, Exthros is throughout on the middle level when it comes to quality. Nothing harasses, yet nothing rises to goosebumps-inducing levels: these streamlined songs, often even chorus-based, are easy to listen to, which kind of bugs me as I’m afraid the album won’t have long durability. So far I’m still enjoying the album, especially during such tracks as ”The Last of the Cursed Days” and ”Ruach Adversi”. Exthros could be said to be the total opposite of anything underground, hence I’m sure this album is to trigger the interests of those who aren’t generally into black metal. Those purely into the rawest of metals, there’s not much to see here.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

… And the Universe Keeps Silent Death Metal
MAERE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Le bannissement Atmospheric Black Metal
CANTIQUE LÉPREUX
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tarantula Heart Sludge Metal
MELVINS
Buy this album from MMA partners
God Damned You To Hell Traditional Doom Metal
FRIENDS OF HELL
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Absence Melodic Death Metal
THE ABSENCE
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Fallen Ashes - Wage War (Official Lyric Video)
FALLEN ASHES
Bosh66· 8 days ago
EXISTENTIAL DEAD - Unreality (Single) 2024
EXISTENTIAL DEAD
Bosh66· 8 days ago
EXISTENTIAL DEAD - Cold Hands
EXISTENTIAL DEAD
Bosh66· 8 days ago
IRON MONKEY - Misanthropizer (Official Music Video)
IRON MONKEY
Bosh66· 11 days ago
??? (Losing ART) - "????" (Official Music Video) [HD]
漂浮者樂團
Bosh66· 11 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed