EXECUTUS

EXECUTUS     "The Black Throne of Chaos Abandoned"

By Dr. Abner Mality

With that grandiose album title, one might theorize we are dealing with an epic black metal band from the icy reaches of Scandinavia...or some such. Not quite. EXECUTUS hail from dry and dusty South Australia and play a pretty workman-like amalgam of thrash and melodic black metal. Think of GOATWHORE and SKELETONWITCH and you won't be far wrong.

It does seem like the boys like their Lovecraft, as we have songs called "Lurker At The Threshold" and "Haunter of the Dark". The tunes here are surprisingly melodic at times and I wouldn't call EXECUTUS bloodthirsty enough to rip anyone limb from limb. "Behold! A Bloodstained Sky" is pretty involved in its songwriting, with the vocalist sporting a particularly sinister and crispy tone.. "Haunter of the Dark" is the album's best...this has got some awesome power-packed riffs that sound suitably barbaric.

Aside from that, nothing is terrible, but I can't say I will probably remember much about the likes of "The World's Grave" and "Invocation From the Abyss" a few weeks down the road. The band know what they're about and have the ability to do more. I hope they get the chance.

EXECUTUS