(written by Islander)
“After more than two decades of relentless chaos, the blackened legions of Exordium Mors return once again, forging their path with maniacal speed, blistering melody, reckless vitriol, and sheer violent brutality. Their sound is hammered with an iron fist, delivering ruthless, in-your-face hostility.”
That is how PR materials we’ve received begin to introduce Sworn To Heresy, a new EP by New Zealand’s Exordium Mors that will be loosed upon the world by Praetorian Sword Records on March 1st. The words are in line with this band’s dominant reputation, a reputation for discharging sounds of frenzy and ferocity. But that is only part of the Exordium Mors story, albeit a significant part.
To quote ourselves this time, from our premiere of the band’s last album As Legends Fade and Gods Die (2022), their music “moves at a dizzying, high-octane pace,” generating “storms of vitriol and volatility,” but it also interweaves “mood-changing melodies that are sinister and gloomy but also exotic and brazenly imperious,” as well as incorporating “wild soloing that reaches epic heights.” And it has proven to be multi-faceted (“every song is a kaleidoscopic adventure”) and executed with surgical precision.
To return to the PR materials for the new EP, they promise “a bold evolution” in the band’s sound as Exordium Mors enter their third decade. What does this mean… and is it cause for concern? Continue reading »