Artist: Exhorder
Label:Roadrunner Records
Release Date: 1992
Rating: 5 Skulls
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Title: The Law Artist: Exhorder Label:Roadrunner Records Release Date: 1992
Rating: 5 Skulls |
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Reviewed by Requiem:
The early 90's were a time of change in the world of extreme metal. It was then that we saw the inevitable passing of the torch from thrash to the more extreme aspects of death metal. Bands like Death Angel, Violence, and Exodus were all throwing in the towel due to the newly invested interest in death metal's gore and evil, not to mention the unparralleled speeds brought on by the mighty blast beat. This new wave gave birth to bands like Death, Morbid Angel and masters of gore Cannibal Corpse. However, some bands successfully bridged the gap between the two worlds, holding onto thrash's roots while incorporating the intensity of death metal. Two such bands that immediately come to mind are Demolition Hammer and, more importantly, New Orleans-based Exhorder.Part of their warm welcome into the death metal scene was probably due to their strong anti-religious beliefs, not masked in any sense on the title of their debut Slaughter in the Vatican. But it was good to see them mature slightly both musically and lyrically on The Law. Still holding the same traits as the debut, the music was diversified in a good sense and the lyrics weren't such a blunt slap in the face. The thing is, Exhorder were obviously influenced by many genres of music including hardcore, punk, metal and thrash. While Slaughter in the Vatican was a blaspheming slab of hyper-speed thrash, The Law saw multiple tempos coming into play as well as doomier guitar segments that succeeded in being some of the heaviest riffs we'd heard yet. And what made everything all the more accessible was Kyle Thomas' fine ability to sing, which was counteracted by his pissed off screams that could rival Araya's eardrum-piercing wails of the early Slayer days.
It's clear to me that Exhorder's main goal was to be heavy, and did they ever achieve that. Even on faster songs like "The Truth" and "Soul Search Me", they still made time to include a fierce breakdown that would guarantee blood at every show. The frantic drumming is as fast as thrash will allow, without delving into the blast beat territory of death metal. The riffs are not only technically all over the place, but also show some extreme precision in the picking department. It coincidentally seems that they may have designed the track order to have maximum effect on a tape or vinyl, my point being that the last track of each side (of the tape, in my case) leans towards thier slowest, doomiest roots. Side one proclaims homage to Sabbath's "Into the Void" quite nicely, showcasing Thomas' ability to croon it out with the best of ‘em. The closing track of the album, "(Cadence of) The Dirge", is the album's finest track as well as the heaviest. The bass drum follows every agonizing chug of the chords, and the vocals are in pristine form once again. The album fades out with the heaviness and in with a beautiful acoustic riff that closes the lid on a brilliant album which also marked the end of a brilliant band.
After The Law was released, Exhorder disbanded and has since achieved a cult fanbase. Singer Kyle has since fronted Floodgate, Trouble and the short-lived reunited Exhorder. Accusations have been made about the similarity between Exhorder and Pantera and there has been much debate about it. Fact is, each band did its own thing and Pantera just happened to get success out of the deal. The Law is still one of the heaviest and most fierce albums out there, and should be investigated upon by anyone who feels the need to discover what I think is a cult classic.
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