Review Summary: Exhortation's youth and inexperience is both compelling and frustrating, resulting in mixed but mostly positive results.
Exhortation is a Cleburne Texas based thrash act who's recent burst in popularity has led to shows with legends such as Suicidal Tendencies and won them many battles throughout the DFW area with their high energy live shows and DIY aesthetic. They have amassed a sizable following in the two years they have been active, and it's not hard to see why. Heavy riffs, screamed vocals, love of speed, and adaptability into mainstream styles has given them a boost above many other locals and area favorites. But where youthful exuberance end, a series of small frustrations grow under the surface.
The band takes very heavily from the Havoc style of minimal solos, less technicality, bold and brash school of thought as opposed to the more traditionally known Metallica, Megadeth, or Testament styles. Where other groups use subtlety or tasteful lead playing, Exhortation relies heavily on the power of the two lowest strings almost entirely, leading to things running together and an overall sense of deja-vu. The musicianship problems are made even more apparent through the glossy and clean production done by Altered State productions. It's not complementary and brings out the worst qualities of the band's sound. The guitars overwhelm the mix while the bass tone is toothless despite it's heavy layers of distortion.
Songs such as "Toxic Disembowelment" and "Husk of the Pit" show the band at the top of their game with pounding drums and entrancing playfulness while others such as "For Every Goliath, There is a Stone" seem to fall flat with it's plodding drums and monotonous progressions. Other tracks show the band taking some risks like "Oracle of Bones" with it's "clean guitar" break after the first chorus and gothic metalcore breakdown, while "Blood of the Chosen One" plays it mostly safe and delivers solid thrash goodness.
One of Exhortation's most fascinating qualities is their habit of blending a very "late 80's" thrash style with modern metal hooks and dabbling into hardcore punk and alternative metal without so much of an issue of things sounding forced or strange. Vocalist Jordan Rosser delivers an old-school bark with the occasional metalcore growl and black metal shriek along with clean vocals in complimentary sections. His versatility is one of the band's greatest strengths and future releases will hopefully focus more attention on him. The riffs are solid if not a little samey but they hold down the bones of the songs the way that they should and very rarely get the better of the other instruments. The drumming is slightly underwhelming but fits the mood of the part, always playing to the betterment of the group and the bass shows where it needs to and sticks to the back when unwanted.
Exhortation are a promising young band and I can't wait to see what comes of them as they begin their journey into music.
