BEGRIME EXEMIOUS
BEGRIME EXEMIOUS “Rotting In the Aftermath”
By Dr. Abner Mality
This veteran Canadian band has hit my death metal “sweet spot” with their latest release “Rotting In The Aftermath”. It’s a record that is paradoxically both smooth and abrasive at the same time. Abrasive, because it’s 100% death metal with everything that term implies. And smooth because it flows so effortlessly, gliding past your neural synapses with confidence and barely a misplaced note.
Although BEGRIME EXEMIOUS plays a style that seems very familiar, I’m hard pressed to compare them to any one band specifically. That indicates they have their own take on an established formula. I’d say they are definitely influenced by classic American death metal from the early 90’s, but putting their own spin on it. The album sounds like it could have come directly from that era, with a natural and very analog sound. This is a rough and ready record! They don’t push the speed and technicality to extremes, but the songs are full of cool twists, with riffs transitioning into each other smoothly. For the best example of this, check out the excellent “Breach The Stronghold”.
They also know how to time the songs. Nothing exceeds five minutes, but the songs have all the time they need to make an impact. There’s even a touch of death n’ roll to the catchier riffs, like the more “swinging” ones in “Regressive Divisions” and “Cruel Mistress”. At the same time, “Planetary Crypt” is as morbid as anything you could wish for. The band uses slower, more ominous tempos on “Infected Mind” and “Diseased Mankind”, but while I do prefer the faster numbers, these don’t drag on past their time limit.
All in all, it’s just a great example of inspired, catchy death metal that draws upon the classic tropes of the genre while remaining uniquely BEGRIME EXEMIOUS.