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EXHORDER
Mourn The Southern Skies

Nuclear Blast (2019)
Rating: 8/10

Finally here’s a metal band we once loved that has returned to form. Exhorder were underrated titans in their day, and should’ve been up there with Pantera; a band who of course took a lot from the Exhorder sound. But that’s the past and this is now, as Exhorder return with a tidy sized chunk of groove metal that doesn’t exactly harken back to the halcyon days of the New Orleans, Louisiana-based band’s 1990 debut Slaughter In The Vatican – but then again, why would it?

Decades have passed, dynamics change but us old fans shouldn’t be disappointed by what is essentially Exhorder Mark II; pumped up and ready to go with a batch of meaty, groove based head crunchers once again driven by frontman Kyle Thomas and those muscular vocal chops.

Sure, the line-up has changed too, another reason why the sound of Mourn The Southern Skies is different. Apart from Thomas, the only other mainstay is guitarist Vinnie LaBella whose tone remains fully cranked. Alongside him, fellow axe man Marzi Montazeri requires no introduction having previously worked with former Pantera frontman Philip H. Anselmo. Other new additions are bassist Jason Viebrooks and drummer Sasha Horn who add further muscle to the ten tunes on offer.

First up is ‘My Time’, where the thrashing tone brings together Slayer and Exodus, although distinctly modern versions. The pace here is bludgeoning if rather generic, and that’s actually something a majority of today’s bands can be accused of. Maybe it’s the general lack of ideas in a genre that quite simply sounded so much more potent back in the day, but again we can’t afford to reflect too much. ‘My Times’ is a supped up and frantic skull basher that speeds up Corrosion Of Conformity and melts it with a strong melodic chorus and a weighty, razor sharp chug throughout.

‘Asunder’ follows, although this one is less aggressive, bringing an almost groove-based, and, dare I say it, Pantera-cum-Down vibe mixed once again with a Corrosion Of Conformity feel. In fact, CO.C. is a the band that springs to mind frequently throughout this record, but that’s not a bad thing as Thomas rants like a pissed-off Pepper Keenan as the riffs roll like sizzling barrels of hay into the path of oncoming vehicles. Indeed, this is a fiery, angst-ridden record that belches rusty nails while oozing, black, treacle-like liquid from every pore.

‘Hallowed Sound’ again features barbed wire axe work, thudding percussion and a bass that grasps your spine then extracts it violently – the whole band coming together to provide a massive groove metal force. And that’s where we’re at, Exhorder brooding and spitting blood as thrasher ‘Beware Of The Wolf’ gives latter day Slayer a run for their money, while the lengthy ‘Yesterday’s Bones’ chugs with ominous intent, bringing again that strong, muscular Pantera vibe.

Elsewhere, ‘All She Wrote’ and ‘Rumination’ strike like deadly, pulverizing hammers extracted from Testament’s darkest hours; both tracks, especially the latter, feature that fizzing axe work and thudding percussive assault, and then comes the speed. But this is where, in spite of all the aggression, I become a tad disinterested.

Now, before you Exhorder fans start getting the sniper rifles out, remember I’m a reviewer with an opinion and my view is that in spite of some killer melodies, huge dollops of aggression and typical Exhorder magic, this is music that I’ve heard similarly spouted by the likes of Corrosion Of Conformity. The aforementioned, ‘Rumination’ is a fine example of that, especially with those ascending vocals, and the slower, sunbaked glint showcased on the strains of ‘The Arms Of Man’.

Some fans may be surprised as to how Kyle Thomas’ vocals have progressed and boast a less gritty strain, while others will of course simply revel and flail in the sonic thrash assault of the snappy ‘Ripping Flesh’.

However, the ten-minute title track really does show that the band has left the best for last. This gigantic, slow-moving and mournful tune really does showcase Thomas’ vocals talents, the band now exhibiting a Down-style sludginess mixed with Soundgarden while a doomy streak runs throughout. This is truly epic stuff; an orgasmic slab of muscular metal that would accompany the gradual rise of a sleeping giant disturbed from its dormant state before lumbering across the landscape of burning fields of corn… and that’s just how my mind works.

Exhorder’s return is certainly a welcome one even if its ingredients are extremely familiar, but sometimes they are the best meals to digest.

Neil Arnold

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