Holy cow! I just used the term "mind-blowing" in another review for the band Sick of Change. But I have suddenly gained a completely new perspective on that term, now that Norway's Extol has completely redefined its meaning for me. Extol turns all music to mush, as they will turn your brain into mush. Your opinion has now ceased to have any significance. Extol is truly mind-blowing in the truest sense of the word.
This is the first time I have really had a close encounter with the band's music, and, while I have always had a general respect for their musical ingenuity, the true magnificence of Extol was revealed to me in full with this EP. I can say without a doubt that this is one of the most incredible bands in existence. I am in complete awe of their musicianship - the guitarists riffing it up all over the fret board, the drummer pounding out insanely complicated beats and fills at unbelievable speeds, the bassist… playing… bass… very well of course. Extol has got to be the tightest band these ears have ever tried to keep up with. They stop and start and keep on hurting your brain all the way through the orchestrated chaos. And its all metal to the core, with a quaint Scandinavian finish.
One cool thing about this EP is that there are a lot of different vocal approaches offered. I didn't count the number of variations I heard in the screaming/growling throughout these 6 songs, but there were quite a few, as well as some of that good ol' classic metal crooning here and there. Extol's vocalists give me the creeps, but I can't say they aren't fitting for the music.
Unfortunately, while the first three songs are (here it is again) mind-blowing, the latter three songs are just plain annoying. They are actually remixes of tracks off of their "Burial" album, and they sound very much like remixes, with lots of weird sound effects and keyboard use. These three songs are more of what I'd classify as "noise" than music. I kept waiting for some big payoff, but all I got was a lot of techno fuzz and almost a headache.
Other than that, and not having any printed lyrics, this EP quite rocks. Extol is nothing short of amazing. If anyone disagrees with me on that, refer to the opening paragraph to be once again reminded of the futility of your pitiful punk-rock perspective (that's alliteration of the letter 'P').
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #81Reviewed by David BixlerAfter the tremendous success of Burial, the mighty Extol has released a very interesting EP. This version by Solid State is basically just a repackaging and U.S. release of the European version that has been available since June. What's cool is that Solid State didn't skimp on the packaging or anything, keeping the fancy digipak and great artwork. So, if you don't have the European release, you…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Joe RockstrohWith some bands, you get the feeling that if you had a $10,000 stereo it would sound that much better. With Extol, there's so much in the beats, the riffs, the growls, that you really feel as if you can't get it loud enough. Considering the current glut of sub-par metal and hardcore bands that are filling the Christian market, Extol seem all the more brilliant. While the excellent Burial broke…Art for the Ears 1999Reviewed by Marco PovervestThis EP must be kind of a snack before they dish up a new album. There are six songs on this disc of which only one is really new, recorded in 1999. This song, Enthralled, shows Extol's at the top of their strength. They play technical deathmetal but in this song they are closer to blackmetal than ever with shrieking vocals and some faster than fast passages. The second song (The Prodigal Son)…Similar sounding releases
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