‘The Siege of Ascalon’ is a bit of a preview from international group Extermination Order. While only 5 tracks they speak loud enough about what to expect from this band, and it sounds pretty awesome! With members from Deadlock, Heaven Shall Burn, and and Age of Woe, it is kind of surprising that this is not a more melodic output since a lot of the bands these guys are from are Melodic Death driven, but there are plenty of Melodeath moments that will make fans pretty happy. The closest comparison can be made with hearing a track like ‘Cadmean Victory’ and hearing those anthemic riffs will definitely bring to mind Amon Amarth. Vocals are deep and roaring, not mid snarled, so the heaviness is really loaded on along with the slight fuzziness of the guitars and the thunder of the drums. Then one really gets the aggression put on when hearing a track like ‘Siege of Power’ which brings back the Bolt Thrower days (even the album artwork is similar to that of ‘The IVth Crusade’) and while it may not be as groove laden, the mid paced churn will certainly incite plenty of headbanging. It might hard to decide whether to mosh or just stand and whip the head, but there is no doubt that this stuff is catchy and has that nice balance of production between old school and new school. Listeners of Death Metal in general should keep their ears open for more releases from these guys as it is sure to become a favorite for those who might have wanted to hear what some of the members’ other projects were like if they were heavier, especially regarding the vocalist from Deadlock who seemed a little restrained in his work whereas here he sounds monstrous and powerful and it will blow listeners away.
Extermination Order – The Siege Of Ascalon [EP]
Info
- Bands: Extermination Order
- Labels: War Anthem Records
- Release Formats: 12" vinyl, CD
- Release Years: 2023
- Review Date: April 13, 2023
- Authors: Colin McNamara
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