Execration “Syndicate of Lethargy” CD

"Syndicate of Lethargy" is the debut full-length from Norway's Execration (on Vendlus Records), and my first exposure to the band—who are apparently among the finest purveyors of absolutely crushing, true-to-form death metal out there these days. Not terribly unlike Dead Congregation in some ways (though indeed quite different in others), Execration seems to have been inspired by the best of the best that old school death metal had to offer, and have swirled those influences together into a fierce attack that still sounds current and fresh, despite being largely rooted in the past. There's a really good balance of straightforward speed and light technicality with slow, plodding rhythms that accentuate the band's penchant for mangled chord phrasings and discordant textures, so despite achieving a very consistent approach, this is not a one-sided album in the least. Obviously numerous staples of the genre are in place—tremolo picking and pinch harmonics, blastbeats, guttural vocals—but such aesthetics don't exactly dominate, what with the almost doom-esque tempos so prevalent throughout. Not to mention that the tracks range from concise three-and-a-half-minute bursts to the whopping 11+ minute closer, "Clinging to Existence", which even eases into an eerie atmospheric break with whispered vocals over clean guitars, bass, and sparse piano—making for one of the more epic tracks on the disc, even with all of its strange little abstractions! The production's great as well, with a nice sense of clarity and a really thick, monstrous sense of space. The vocals are never overpowering (nor are the drums), the guitars create a huge wall of sound but you can still make out that slightly fuzzy, oppressive bass tone, etc. No complaints here. There doesn't seem to be a ton of information out there regarding Execration, which strikes me as odd, but hopefully that's all going to change once this album starts filtering out a bit more. This is great shit, right here.

Execration "Syndicate of Lethargy"

This one was supposed to be out on August 1st, but I'm thinking that got pushed back until later this month since the label's apparently on vacation and not filling any orders until August 18th. I don't like posting about stuff before it's able to be purchased, but shit happens, and I was psyched about this disc when I first checked it out, so... if you like what you hear, make a mental note and check back at the Vendlus Records online store to see when this beast arrives in stock!