Remember Believer? Extol tips their hats heavily to these classically-influenced madmen with the use of violins, and then takes even more progressive liberties. Shrieking black-like vocals are abundant, but the music bed underneath is what dominates. And don't think that vocalist Peter Espevoll is a one-trick pony, either. You can hear his vocal chords breathe a sigh of relief during the melodic strains of "Shelter." Guitarist Ole Borud lends his vocals to "Ember" and "Renewal," which marry melodic metal with shrill blackness. Quite an extreme contrast. "Meadow of Silence" takes the dynamic differences one step further with an acoustic interlude. And the vocals aren't the only instrument utilizing melodic sounds. "A Structure of Souls" features some beautiful electric guitar playing that could truthfully be called a voice. "Where Sleep Is Rest" shows off more of this melodic guitar playing, tipping its hat to classic metal as well.
All the superior prowess that you'd expect from Extol is exhibited here. I'm especially impressed by the great drum sound throughout. Another element that shows off this band's amazing tightness is the galloping rhythms found in "Of Light And Shade" and "Inferno." The Galactic Cowboys would be proud.
Extol offers the intensity of their last full-length, Burial, and shows growth and the willingness to stretch. While Burial never seemed to let up, Undeceived throws in lots of dynamic swells to let the listener absorb all that's going on. Once again, Extol shows themselves as world class musicians that should be taken seriously on their musical offerings alone. Maybe Undeceived will succeed in bridging the gap between death/black and prog metal, where fans of Deicide and Dream Theater can mingle together and drop their jaws to the amazing skills of Extol.
Other coverage for this album
Art for the Ears 2000Reviewed by Marco PovervestWow, the new Extol is really a step into the right direction with songs easier accessible than before and with mindcatching riffing. With sonic noises that fill a lot of space, down tuned raging guitarwork and adorned with violins a la Believer in three songs. Also in the riffing I sense a Believer influence. All played skillfully, tight and yet melodic. Production is better and more varied with…Dead Zine 2000Reviewed by sesspoolI know, I know... "6!?" Well, yeah... 6. Overall, this album showed me how tiring and dull industrial and other experimentation styles mix with Nordic black metal. They don't. Most of this album, I find that I'm begging for more tracks resembling inferno and Time stands still... and less Renewal and A structure of souls. I know the craze for clean vocals in heavy music has produced some…Dead Zine 2000Reviewed by SFhxcSFYou better be sitting over the toilet and have some of that Charmin triple fluff toilet paper if you've never heard this before, because you will chunk your pants! This cd is sooo amazing! Get this cd now, get it now right now! Stop reading, go to the store buy it, then finish the review if you feel so inclined. Outstanding music, every part of the music is excellent! All of the musicians are…Dead Zine 2000Reviewed by GrindboyOk -- everything you've read about this album is true. The musicianship is indeed probably surpassing of every band in Christian music, the songs flat rip, and the lyrics are simultaneously straight-forward and artistic. Indeed, through the first three tracks it really sounds like a 10. What remains, however, is to me quite a tainted masterpiece. Here's the problems I have with this album.…Dead Zine 2000Reviewed by undeadMETAL FANS AROUND THE WORLD REJOICE!!!! A mighty upraising has just taken place in Norway. Extol's eagerly anticipated new release is better than any possible expectations. This new disc changed styles a bit, but picks up right where Mesmerized left off. The band is still characterized by the contrasting clean and death vocals, and the melodic guitars. This album, however, carries a lot more…Dead Zine 2000Reviewed by WoodensoulNow I have patiently been waiting for this album for a LONG time. And right when I thought I couldn't take it any longer ... it arrives. I was, and still am, very excited about this album. When Burial came out I thought that it was most likely the best Extol could possibly do. But I was wrong ... dead wrong. I was also kinda leery about the adding of a new bass player ... but when I heard…Dead Zine 2000Reviewed by SORGThe masters of all metal are back with their second full-length cd and another masterpiece it is! Undeceived is more brutal and "death" oriented than their debut Burial was. With crushing riffs and blurring skill Extol takes metal music over the top and beyond. Extol is still incorporating elements of black metal into their ever evolving sound but I also hear elements of American death metal…Dead Zine 2000Reviewed by D_ListerI think the thing to say about this album is simply what I felt about it. This album is exactly what I expected Extol to offer us. Sheer perfection. This without the shadow of a doubt, an Extol album from beginning to end. Now that's not to say it's a duplicate of Burial, or even the tracks from Mesmerized, but rather a continuation of the Extol experience. New ground is traversed with the…Similar sounding releases
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