By: Anders

Posted: Feb 2, 2006

The Danish powerhouse Exekrator is now ready with their first full length release, which by the way also marks their first official CD release. The album is compiled of the band's 2 7" releases "The Beast Is Come" that was released in 1999 and "Superstitionis Maleficiae" from 2004, together with 2 never before released tracks recorded in 1999, 2 gems entitled 'Black' and 'Til En Gud'.

Blackened heavy metal is what the band delivers, the basics is in good and classic heavy metal, with the coldness and melodic mayhem from black metal. The riffs and melodies are great, mostly catchy, even though there at times are some cold and twisted pieces as well, always interesting and shifting. The atmosphere is dark and mysterious and very enchanting. The times the bass shines through the wall of guitars it's good and delivers some nice rumbling. The drumming is great as well, and fits perfectly into the dark universe of Exekrator. The vocals are one of the true highlights, again accompanying the music very good, the vocals on top of the great guitar work makes it all go into a higher wholesome. The high falsetto-like scream rips through bones and marrow and leaves goosebumps on ones back. Good and varied from a lower and dark scream, to the high and eerie and twisted scream, when best just as good as King Diamond, and the whole time just as atmospheric, awe-inducing and effective.

It's good to finally see some Exekrator material on CD, I guess this will open some doors for the band and get the music spread wider. The tracks on here are timeless and all as fresh as when they first were released. All from heavy metal fans to black metal fans can join this wagon, great heavy metal with a very dark twist. Though a review without bile would not be in its place, it is of course cool to have 66 tracks and to have a CD run for 66.06 minutes or is it? When there only are 8 tracks on the album. I find such features annoying as hell and the silence or the insanely skipping of the tracks, to get to the last one, is totally ruining the atmosphere of a listening session, especially when we are talking about music as this, which demands great attention to work on its fullest. It is extremely great that the band has thrown in their yet, best track 'Darkness Remains' from their "promo 2005" disc in as a bonus track, but why hide it behind empty tracks and time…? Well, now when that is out in the clear, you should go check out the band, you might end up possessed as well!

Rating: 8/10

Exekrator website

Kindly supplied by Exekrator

Buy the album at

Buy merchandise at

Review of "Promo 2005"

Interview with Exekrator from 2005

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