Excoriate - On Pestilent Winds…

EXCORIATE - On Pestilent Winds… (SEPULCHRAL VOICE - LP 2009)

This is one of those reviews, which should have been written ages ago, because it’s about an album released over a decade ago. And maybe I should even shed a tear, because the band has already been dead for few years and nothing seem to determine its resurgence. But better late than never and sometimes it’s good also to remind the readers some excellent albums from the previous years, which maybe not everyone had a chance to hear. And maybe this way they will catch up and get a copy. 

For me this album belongs to the best releases from Sepulchral Voice Records - which should already be a great recommendation, if you know how many amazing albums have been released through this label. Excoriate recorded „On Pestilent Winds…” back in 2006 and it took another three years to have it released. And looking at the time when it was recorded, I cannot think of many bands, which would equally impress me. Obviously, there were some killers, like Repugnant, Invidious, Coffin Texts, Necrovation and Kaamos – they were all fantastic. But it’s still a small number. Only later more great acts appeared, to name Vorum, Ensnared, Vanhelgd, Venenum, Degial, Beyond, Necrocurse as few examples. Which is exactly why Excoriate is such a stand out and remembered band for me. 

Anyway, let's finish the introduction and dig the grave to exhume this pestilent artefact. Excoriate was a fantastic death metal band, which had a touch of that possessed black metal in their music. To me, it sounds like Morbid Angel was mixed with Sadistic Intent, Necrovore, Necrophobic, early Bathory and Nifelheim – to name just few. The result is ama-fuckin-zing. This music is dark, it’s evil and blasphemous, I love that obscure, morbid aura around it, as well as savagery and viciousness which come from every sound. Even when Excoriate brings some more melodic riffs – which they do sometimes – they have that eerie and haunting sound, which perfectly fits some of the more barbaric and aggressive parts. The music is not fast, honestly most of it is mid paced or even slow, but that again works so well for me, because that’s when the atmosphere gets deeper and more infectious. I think that „On Pestilent Winds…” belongs to those albums, which impress with everything, from the production to songwriting, atmosphere, band photographs, layout... It’s all been done properly, without looking or sounding stupid and lame. And I know that most of the people prefer to excite themselves with the 18th album from Cannibal Corpse or Obituary or whatever band. Why not. For me, the best what death metal have seen in the past twenty years came from smaller bands like Excoriate.  

Verdict: 90/100