Exanimate sounds like the work of hairy Swedes with names akin to IKEA furniture – but it’s not. These guys are from Melbourne, though the melodic death metal they peddle is indebted to the Gothenburg scene of the mid ‘90s. If you’re a fan of At the Gates, In Flames, et al. pull up a chair and get acquainted with your new favourite melodeath crusaders.
They’ve studied The Big Book of Swedish Melodic Death Metalfrom front to back, and have poured what they’ve learnt into 11 searing tracks. It ticks all the boxes: vocals that ping pong between screech and guttural belch? Check. Anxiety-inducing tempos? Check. Caustic riffs, tremolo picking and sizzling leads? You bet. They crank the BPMs into the red – keep up or be left for dead. For an indie effort, it does sound massive: choice cuts like Defiling Paradise and Wildfire kick like a mule to the goolies. Infect, Replace, Disintegrate’s black metal tinge and orchestral strings add some nice variety too.
Who cares if it’s not the most original sounding debut? It’s a slick effort from a promising up-and-comer in the Melbourne metal scene. These tracks will leave mosh pits depraved, filth-infested messes. You’ve been warned.
By Jack Pilven
