Extol Undeceived
Century Media 2002
By Russell Garwood
Extols second full length release, Undeceived, shows a marked development from debut Burial; the songs have a more definite structure, there is a greater variety of vocal styles and increased instrumentation. Consisting of Schaliachs Ole Børud (guitars, now departed to further his classical career), Peter Espevoll (vocals), Christer Espevoll (guitar, backing vocals) and David Husvik (drums, backing vocals), Extol perform a variation of melodic, progressive Death. At times they are vaguely reminiscent of Opeth, but lack their counterparts subtlety and have a wider range of instrumentation. While the musicianship is excellent, at times the songs can feel slightly fragmented due to the sudden changes in character. The songwriting overall, however, is impressive.
Opener and title track Undeceived begins to the sound of violins, progressing into a mid-paced and melodic if slightly unoriginal piece. This is followed by Inferno, in which the strings juxtapose the guitars well, and Time Stands Still has an excellent atmospheric interlude halfway through. The album continues in a similar vein: melodic Death with a technicality and variation that prevents monotony. Standouts include the short instrumental Shadows Of Silence, A Structure Of Souls with clean vox, and the almost ballad-like instrumental Where Sleep Is Rest. The two bonus tracks on this release, Human Frailties Grave and Shadow Of Death, both from the Swedish-only Paralysis single, are nice extras and serve as a good conclusion to the album.
Extol have a refreshingly different religious perspective from the majority of Norways metallic output. While Ive never been a fan of religious undertones in music (satanic or otherwise), the (relative) subtlety present in Undeceived makes them far more bearable than the average satanic black metal. All in all this is an impressive album, and while there is room for improvement, Extol are definitely on the right track.
Century Media 2002
By Russell Garwood
Extols second full length release, Undeceived, shows a marked development from debut Burial; the songs have a more definite structure, there is a greater variety of vocal styles and increased instrumentation. Consisting of Schaliachs Ole Børud (guitars, now departed to further his classical career), Peter Espevoll (vocals), Christer Espevoll (guitar, backing vocals) and David Husvik (drums, backing vocals), Extol perform a variation of melodic, progressive Death. At times they are vaguely reminiscent of Opeth, but lack their counterparts subtlety and have a wider range of instrumentation. While the musicianship is excellent, at times the songs can feel slightly fragmented due to the sudden changes in character. The songwriting overall, however, is impressive.
Opener and title track Undeceived begins to the sound of violins, progressing into a mid-paced and melodic if slightly unoriginal piece. This is followed by Inferno, in which the strings juxtapose the guitars well, and Time Stands Still has an excellent atmospheric interlude halfway through. The album continues in a similar vein: melodic Death with a technicality and variation that prevents monotony. Standouts include the short instrumental Shadows Of Silence, A Structure Of Souls with clean vox, and the almost ballad-like instrumental Where Sleep Is Rest. The two bonus tracks on this release, Human Frailties Grave and Shadow Of Death, both from the Swedish-only Paralysis single, are nice extras and serve as a good conclusion to the album.
Extol have a refreshingly different religious perspective from the majority of Norways metallic output. While Ive never been a fan of religious undertones in music (satanic or otherwise), the (relative) subtlety present in Undeceived makes them far more bearable than the average satanic black metal. All in all this is an impressive album, and while there is room for improvement, Extol are definitely on the right track.
