Admittedly, Burial (Extol's first LP) was fairly good in my opinion, but really didn't overwhelm me the first 10 spins. Now, after countless rotations, Burial has rooted itself into nothing less than remarkable. Yes, I highly anticipated this release. It's a bummer this is an EP, but I say that strictly because I NEED more of this! Again, Extol delivers with such abounding complexity (as their first LP) you find it nearly impossible not to reap an undiscovered twist each listen. With this in mind, forget about burning out in boring redundancies. Again Ole Borud (SCHALIACH) has proven to be beyond the "upper crust" of acoustic ingenuity. Most of black metal's guitarist seem to plunge into power metal leads and overtones that they often lose aggression. Ole has to be my (very stingy) choice for the most accomplished guitarist that can wank off the power end, but still retain a dark mood (usually caused by erratic strumming.) Christer Espevoll is no shame on the guitars as well.
Just like Burial I was so involved with the riffing that I half-hearted my attention to the percussion (drums usually capitalize my priority.) By the time I paid some attention to them the gifts continued to abound. Not just because of the drummer's intricacy, but because David Husvik is so bonded with the others instruments. He creates a "sealed" sound to all the other instrumentation in the music. Well, that's at least the first three tracks...Now Extol has decided to add industrial sounds and even some tribal elements. FEAR NOT! I usually hate this because it means another good band is going to suck. The two tracks are still pretty dark and alternate to keep from boredom. Well I really have to say the 4th track (I'm confused on the song titles on my list, sorry) is not so much "industrialized" metal, but more of a trilogy in vast moods and styles. Peter Espevoll still changes his vocal style enough to even call him deathy at times. I still cannot really give a genre to this band because they are black, are death, are powerish, and now are a little industrial. The band calls themselves progressive death metal and maybe that is best fitting? Who Cares! They pummel. All this and once again, Extol sounds like no other (the nearly impossible feat these days!)
9/10
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #81Reviewed by David BixlerAfter the tremendous success of Burial, the mighty Extol has released a very interesting EP. This version by Solid State is basically just a repackaging and U.S. release of the European version that has been available since June. What's cool is that Solid State didn't skimp on the packaging or anything, keeping the fancy digipak and great artwork. So, if you don't have the European release, you…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Joe RockstrohWith some bands, you get the feeling that if you had a $10,000 stereo it would sound that much better. With Extol, there's so much in the beats, the riffs, the growls, that you really feel as if you can't get it loud enough. Considering the current glut of sub-par metal and hardcore bands that are filling the Christian market, Extol seem all the more brilliant. While the excellent Burial broke…Bandoppler 1999Reviewed by James FlorenceHoly cow! I just used the term "mind-blowing" in another review for the band Sick of Change. But I have suddenly gained a completely new perspective on that term, now that Norway's Extol has completely redefined its meaning for me. Extol turns all music to mush, as they will turn your brain into mush. Your opinion has now ceased to have any significance. Extol is truly mind-blowing in the truest…Art for the Ears 1999Reviewed by Marco PovervestThis EP must be kind of a snack before they dish up a new album. There are six songs on this disc of which only one is really new, recorded in 1999. This song, Enthralled, shows Extol's at the top of their strength. They play technical deathmetal but in this song they are closer to blackmetal than ever with shrieking vocals and some faster than fast passages. The second song (The Prodigal Son)…Dead Zine 1999Reviewed by Arni the CowExtol is a good band. This is a good EP. Extol hasn't changed since Burial, so we still have that technical and experimenting death/black sound to extinguish our hunger until the next release (which is out I may add). What can I say? Extol plays great music. Writes great lyrics. I enjoyed this EP. Until the third song is over, that is. Then there come 3 remixes of songs we heard on Burial. If I…Dead Zine 1999Reviewed by CrusaderI was very happy to receive a copy of this cd, being that I'm hugely into Extol. For those of you who aren't familiar with them, they are one of the heaviest and most innovative death/black metal bands to ever grace the ears of mankind. With the exception of the last 3 tracks, which are not recorded by the band, but are industrial remixes of songs off the Burial cd, this cd is pretty much…Dead Zine 1999Reviewed by D_ListerAlright, so a lot of you are gonna give me crap about giving this CD EP a rating of 10, but man I've really listened to this thing a lot trying to find some reason to drop the rating and I just can't find one. EXTOL fans rise up! Mesmerized gives you more of what you have come to know and love as pure, savage, M-E-T-A-L! The first three tracks on this 6 song EP are completely new songs, but they…Similar sounding releases
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