Exmortem
Labyrinths Of Horror

The Exmortem, a Danish Death Metal/Brutal Death Metal band, released their first album in 1995, two years after their initial demo. The record, titled "Labyrinths Of Horror," is truly a strong offering and lays the foundation for their future work.

Almost all the members of the group play their part in this album: in the rhythm section, we have Morten Siersbaek on drums, who manages to keep all the tempos effortlessly with a powerful and fast sound, while also being original. Unfortunately, Andreas Schubert's bass plays a secondary role, and the sound of his instrument is overshadowed by other components; it's a pity, as it would have been interesting to hear what could have emerged with more prominent bass lines within the tracks. On guitar, we have Martin "Sygtyr," who creates sharp riffs that the songs stand on – it's good work, but perhaps he was given too little room. Finally, Simon Petersen as vocalist dabbles in a mix of growl and scream, and in both cases, he delivers an excellent performance. The growl seems to really come from the guts, very deep yet quite catchy and pleasant to listen to (For a trained ear, of course), and the scream, even if not technically perfect, sounds like a real cry of despair and helps to enhance the violent and raw sensations that the album seeks to convey. The singer's performance alone accounts for half of the album's overall value.

The album consists of short/medium-length tracks and consistently maintains good levels throughout. Among the best tracks is certainly the opener, "Intoxicated By Death," which features an intro that sets a truly haunting atmosphere. The song then bursts into a riff that continues to rise in intensity, paving the way for the entrance of Petersen's devastating growl. The duration is short, only 2.55 minutes, and the listener is carried along for the track's entire length. Another noteworthy composition is "Necronomicon the Gateway to the Seven Mighty Gates of Reincarnation," which closes the album. It is built on a very engaging riff, and Siersbaek on drums delivers excellent work, all completed, as always, by the magnificent performance of the singer.

Truly a good debut for these Danes, but certainly not their best album, considering they were just at the beginning of a career in 1995, which would later have more to say with even better works.