Hello Metal-Temple. After a few years of uncertainty, EX DEO are finally back with new material for our enjoyment. After being on hiatus for a few years, they decided to bring back this project and give us "The Immortal Wars". From the guys behind KATAKLYSM, this breath of fresh air seems to come from the break they gave themselves to regroup and think of something new, and the band from Montreal picked up their swords again and rushed to decimate the enemies of Rome.

The album is as epic as you would expect from this band of Romans. "The Rise of Hannibal" opens like a sunrise on a battle field where everyone is ready for war. The guitars are unrelenting, the drums and the bass are up in your face with a marching beat for a good part of the song, and Maurizio is leading the charge with an inspired vocal performance.

The war erupts in "Hispania (Siege of Saguntum)". The beat is steady and brings a certain brutality while the song stays melodic with the help of the guitars. There is a lot of history behind this album. The Siege of Saguntum took place in 219 BC where Hannibal, an enemy of Rome, decided to attack and plunder the city to pay off his army of mercenaries. The song is a tribute to the defence of the city by the Romans who didn't just let the enemy in, but defended with everything they had against the invader.

It is beautiful how EX DEO took a historic event and made it their own through the power of Metal. "Crossing of the Alps" tells the story of Hannibal, who decided to cross the Alps with his army to attack Rome. The Alps have always been a natural frontier to the Romans and this was a pivotal moment in the war. The band transposed this into a melody of epic proportion. You can feel the emotions through the song of when the army finally reaches their destination.

"Ad Victoriam (The Battle of Zama)" has a lot more chorus and explains the end of the war against Cartage when the Romans finally pushed back the invading horde all the way back to their homeland. The vocal work defines the power of this song; with both the chorus and Maurizio being in bringing this battle to life. The album ends on a high note with "The Roman" - which is also the first official video from "The Immortal Wars" that shows the end of Hannibal and the victory by the Roman empire over Carthage.

I am amazed by the research that was done for this album by EX DEO. They took a small part of the Roman history and created their own epic Metal tale of it. I've not only enjoyed the album, I've also learned a lot more about the battle between Carthage and Rome. "The Immortal Wars" is a great album for any fan of the Symphonic Death Metal genre, but also for anyone who loves a good tale told in Metal.