Band/Artist: Exhorder
Exhorder’s Press Release
Place of Origin: New Orleans, LA
Album Title: Defectum Omnium
Album Release Date: March 8, 2024
Record Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Genre: Heavy Metal
For Fans Of: Dark Angel, Nuclear Assault, Exodus, Death Angel, Testament, Machine Head
Social Links: Website / Facebook / Instagram / Youtube
Bio:
Formed in 1986, EXHORDER’s journey has proven exciting, yet tumultuous. After a twenty-seven-year absence following their final Roadrunner Records release in 1992, EXHORDER re-entered the game with an album considered by many to be a contender for the “Best Comeback Album” category. The band released Mourn the Southern Skies in October of 2019 through Nuclear Blast Records. Fraught with euphoric peaks and crippling valleys throughout its existence, lineup changes, and the 2020-2021 pandemic, EXHORDER has since clawed back through the muck to prepare yet another album to add to the discography. In the spring of 2024, EXHORDER presents yet again via Nuclear Blast their fourth full-length recording, Defectum Omnium, the Latin phrase for “The Failure of All”. Singer Kyle Thomas wryly explains that the album title is representative of the current state of affairs that the world is in. “The world is a dumpster fire, and we are all complicit.”, he explains. “People have been talking about, ‘…viruses killing us off, blah-blah, blah…’, when in actuality WE are the virus to the Earth. Mother Nature is simply trying to shake off the fleas, and her ‘viruses’ are the antibodies combating US. Earth will survive, and we will join the dinosaurs, wooly mammoths, and saber-toothed tigers soon enough in her history.“
I was very fortunate to have been able to connect with the Exhorder guys a number of years back after they played a show here in Vegas. We’ve always had a thing for NOLA music in my house, and Exhorder is definitely not slept on here! I can’t say I wasn’t excited to see this notice pop up in my email. We really loved the last release, “Mourn the Southern Skies”, and it’s no question that the earlier material is seen as pioneering and genre defining. (At least, in my eyes. Do I need to keep bringing up my Pantera fandom?)
“Defectum Omnium ” is due to be released on March 8, 2024. We got an early listen and I have to say… if you’re at all a fan of groovy thrashy music, this release is definitely one to add to your collection.
The opening track, “Wrath of Prophecies” gives you a pretty hard punch right out of the gate that doesn’t seem to let up at all. Personally I got almost a revitalized take on early 90’s Slayer-like vibe, while my husband would tell you he heard more of a sound similar to Testament. – I don’t think either of us are wrong here. This record twists and turns through the journey though, so these thrashy vibes are not the only ones hyper apparent. A brief slow down with the first two minutes of “The Tale of Unsound Minds” and then plummeting into a deeper sound that almost reminds me of the overall vibe of Down’s 1995 “NOLA” record.
“Divide and Conquer” makes a real splash, giving off Judas Priest and power metal vibes. It’s about at this track where you can pick up that there is literally something for everyone on this record. Which honestly sets them apart from some of their peers. “Year of the Goat” was released as a single back in January and really showcased the dynamics of the recent line up – highlighting Kyle Thomas’ abilities as a guitarist and vocalist, while Pat O’Brien can be heard in all his true death metal glory. Sasha Horn & Jason VieBrooks keeping up the pace on all fronts.
The rest of the album rounds out strong, with all the roots clearly a focus, but staying fresh and brutal. Exhorder produced this record themselves, with the mix done by Jens Bogren. (Bogren has mixed some of the greats in metal, if you’re unfamiliar.) As a thrash/groove fan, but also generally just a fan of heavy music in general, this is an album I’m not going to be sleeping on when it’s released, and if you’re the same as me, then you’d be wise to go pick it up when it’s released on March 8th!
For all things Exhorder, head on over to https://www.exhorder.com/