Review Summary: Eximperituserqethhzebibiptugakkathsulweliarzaxulum…..wha?
You wouldn’t be the first person to be unable to pronounce this. I mean, who’s actually going to be able to get that on a first go? Still, Eximperituserqethhzebibiptugakk...you know what...Eximperitus, based in Belarus have crafted one of the years more interesting takes on death metal leaning on the mysticism and deeper mythologies of Eastern themes (similarly to Nile’s effect on death metal during their hey-day if you’re looking for a casual reference point), but if the unpronounceable band name doesn’t get you talking, the music probably should.
At thirty-eight minutes,
Sahrartu isn’t an expansive foray into the world of progressive death metal. In fact, it’s opener, “*aqummatu '' is a little deceptive on that front, showcasing a world of latent melody and crescendoing atmosphere - before launching into a world of vicious blast beats, tight riffs and expertly achieved guttural vocals. Slow riffs drench the beginning stanza while that snare bellows out of a chasm. The build is deliberate, immense and plodding. This largely proves, even early on, that Eximperitus have a better hold on atmosphere than what the genre stereotypes suggest, but it’s not until “Utpāda'' that the listener is graced with the pure furor and gravitas of
Sahrartu. Unlike the opening piece, “Utpāda” swells with a riffage, combining both the devastation of blast beats and doomier progressions. The vocals bellow over the top, completing the album’s devastating portrait and yet there’s room for a guitar solo to break both brutality and tempo.
“Tahâdu” is predictably vicious, and a tumultuous display of snare wankery and frenetic guitar passages naturally ensue - but it’s the moments where single noted riffs break the devastation, only to be played in chordal form truly showcase the songwriting talent of the Belarus death-heads. I mean, it’s the same note...but with more strings. That’s good right? Eximperitus find the natural hooks within a song and exemplify it to the nth degree. Sometimes the effect is jarring, but mostly it’s moments like these that define
Sahrartu’s growth from previous records. Eximperitus are the best parts of “more sonically aware”.
As
Sahrartu leans well into its second half, the likes of “Anhûtu” and “Inqirad” stretch the album’s playtime, but extend the listener’s feeling of ‘journey’. Between the two tracks is eighteen minutes of playtime, but the songs themselves don’t drag or misstep. Technically speaking, these are the album’s strongest tracks, which beg the question of what would happen if Eximperitus leaned well into their progressive tropes? That aside, “Anhûtu'' marks a turning point within
Sahrartu’s more traditional death metal attributes. The ebb is moderate, occasionally even meandering, but those low growls again punch well through the mix. The riffs continue to swelter, even as the percussion begins to blast. It’s clear that Eximperitus aren’t rushing their ideas, taking the time to insert bridge-like riffs into the track’s central passages - shifting on the foundation before finding a more traditional death metal groove. Even the occasional solo finds a small, but important spot, swapping out the album’s usual low end with uplifting high notes. Eximperitus show technicality, it’s just not shoved down the listeners’ throats every two seconds. Comparative to the rest of the record, “Inqirad” is pensive. Melodic notes intertwine with droning, dissonant chords that don’t directly head into a singular direction. It’s not until the track steps into second gear that the band’s more progressive side meets with the group’s death metal in full flight. Of the album’s near forty minute run-time, it’s “Inqirad” that clearly highlights the band’s new album.
Regardless of the fact that no one, and I mean no one, is ever going to be able to pronounce this band name correctly this year, there’s no doubt that “Eximperituserqethhzebibiptugakkathsulweliarzaxu lum” have released one of the year’s more interesting and poignant death metal records. Sure, it’s not a perfect album and the band themselves have a lot of room to work with. Still, with the type of genius it takes to create monsters like ““Anhûtu” and “Inqirad” chances are that Eximperitus will continue to grow into their foundation of sound. The sinister edge that drives this Belarus piece isn't done yet.
