Exalted, We Are The Grim Throng
It’s hard to imagine that a black metal band from Chicago would be capable of producing a sound so visceral and raw that it reminds us of the early years as the genre took its formative steps into darkness. Exalted’s We Are The Grim Throng is an aggressive, violent metal assault comprised of driving riffs, unrelenting drums and vocal terror. The band’s hatred for humankind (that’s you and me) is delivered through thinly veiled, violent lyrics and caustic black metal.
Often times messy, Exalted’s unrestrained, aural attack shows no sign of mercy or remorse as they hit hard and repeatedly in every attempt to end you in every sense of the word. The dual vocal attack of bassist Azog and guitarist Arend leave little room for criticism as they range from deep guttural hellish growls to tortured high pitch screams, creating a wonderfully evil layered sound.
One of my favorite aspects to this debut is that of drummer Hecubus. His heavy handed approach to drumming is singular in its goal to destroy the equipment before him. Ranging from out of control percussion terror to calculated bombs, he really ties the tracks together well.
Intro
Not to self, you can skip this 43 seconds of noise the next time around. It helps to set the mood, but doesn’t do much else.
Blood Magick
The first real track on the album explodes after the brief intro with driving drums and thrashing riffs. The vocals are harsh and evil. The 2:10 mark hears the drums shifting into a gear that’s just ridiculously quick.
And The Cinders Tell The Tale
Exalted waste no time before ripping through the start of this next track. I love the opening riff — it’s evil as all get out. This song is a prime example of Hecubus’ heavy handed approach to drumming. I’m pretty sure he’s trying to beat his way through the kit and straight into hell. I’ve never heard anyone so angry at their equipment before. I love it!
As The Sky Turns Black
“As The Sky Turns Black” starts off with a scream and a nice evil riff. It opens up a bit more controlled than the previous two thrashers, which allows the listener to catch up a bit. The second half of this song has some creative writing and guitar work.
Morbid Eternity
This next one fades in with force. The opening riffing is classic and quite memorable. The vocals are spit out with a slight melody applied making this a catchy track, as the drums pummel and plunder in the background.
Conquered Shores
An explosion of noise and black metal greets the listener in the first 20 seconds and maniacally fast drumming let’s loose. There’s an evil, static noise smothering this track adding great texturing and layers to the tracks sound. At about the 1:20 mark I feel as though I need to channel my inner Christopher Walken and call for more cow bell. I love it!
Caves Of Lost Rejection
A sick bit of guitar work opens up “Caves Of Lost Rejection” as crusty bass fills in behind spoken lyrics. This midpaced song has a great groove and is sure to be a fan favorite.
L+N+D
Another somewhat melodic riff gets this next track going. Throw in a little extra cowbell for good measure and your head is banging along nicely with this song. The vocals have a bit more range on this one as well, diving deeper and more guttural than before. The track ends in black metal chaos.
Ride Of The Black Horde
“Ride Of The Black Horde” is the shortest track on the album but certainly not any lighter on the bludgeoning than any of the previous songs. It’s hard to keep up with Exalted through this track’s two minutes of explosive drums and soul scorching riffs.
Tyaranny Of The Bitch Queen
The final song on the album is also the longest, weighing in at just over 5:30. It starts out with a riff similar to that of “Caves Of Lost Rejection” and shifts into crusty bass and pummeling drums about 30 seconds in. There are plenty of time shifts and tempo changes to keep the listener busy on this one. It’s a great way to end on hell of a debut.
~ ~ ~
Mixing black metal with some thrash and an I-don’t-give-a-fuck punk attitude, Exalted have exploded out of hell with this evil debut from Battle Kommand. Most of the tracks are short and hard hitting, but pack plenty of mayhem into every possible moment. If you like your black metal aggressive, dirty and violent as all get out, then check out Exalted’s We Are The Grim Throng.
Favorite Tracks:
All of them.
Additional Notes:
n/a