siLLy puPPy Emerging from the Los Angeles metroplex city of Whittier, California in the year 2003, EXMORTUS hit the ground running as a bonafide technical thrash metal powerhouse whose sound showcased an uncompromising extreme metal fury with lightning fast tempos accompanied by punishing twin guitar attacks with traces of death metal and NWOBHM that would later lead the band out of the world of tech thrash and more into the world of neoclassical infused power metal.

After a series of demos and EPs, EXMORTUS unleashed its furor onto the metal world with its full-length debut IN HATRED’S FLAME which was released from the fiery pits of hell in the year 2008 and immediately displayed the three man team of Conan (Lead and Rhythm Guitars), Balmore (Vocals, Lead and Rhythm Guitars) Bass and Mario (Drums) as a raging technical explosion of molten metal madness with outstanding musicianship conspiring to craft 11 tracks of high energy sophisticated thrash metal that added the extra touches of neoclassical shredding solos as well as the death metal vocal growls of Balmore.

This is one of those albums that doesn’t give you a chance to catch your breath as it’s high octane incessant battlefield action for its entire 43 minute jaunt into the world of war which the band has been most proficient at narrating through a never-ending series of lyrical devotion to the incessant slaughter of enemy forces and in this case it’s your ear drums! This is probably the only example i’ve come across where an extreme metal band has forged an unholy union between the technical prowess of tech thrash metal that infuses neoclassical power metal and traces of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest into their overall style. Add the death metal growls and EXMORTUS really stands out as something out of the ordinary.

Perhaps the main problem with IN HATRED’S FLAME is that the band is on full adrenaline mode for the entire album’s run and therefore comes across like one of those CGI battle scenes that runs by so quickly that there’s no time to process all the bantering stimulation but on the flip side, this metal madness is so perfectly performed and embodies the spirit of an incessant battle between forces that it works perfectly. While i prefer more varied metal experiences, sometimes just a laser precise focus on a single reaction is what the doctor order and nothing embodies the most horrific bloody war scene like EXMORTUS achieves on this excessive barrage of extreme metal splendor. This is an electric storm of epic battle metal matched by the seasoned musicianship with an intensity like few others.