On March 6, 2020, NEXORUM will release their debut album "Death Unchained." NEXORUM is a blackened death metal band based in Trondheim, Norway. This band, formed in 2017, includes members with experience in a large number of bands, including KEEP OF KALESSIN, CHTON, and KHONSU.

Per the band's interview with BlackenedDeathMetalZine, they wanted to create music that was "heavy as fuck, groovy, and "easy" to perform live, but also atmospheric, brutal and with a good song structure." I think that they nailed a lot of what they set out to do. Their music is definitely a good mix of heavy and groovy. While they use the full range of tempos, their music is usually on the slow side in favor of building a great groove. The songwriting and pacing of the tracks is kept pretty lean, without anything unnecessary. Riffs transition from one right into the next, done seamlessly with help from the fantastic drumming. An underlying growl coming from the bass fills out the low-end of the album.

The first track "Saligia Moralis Codice" kicks off with great slow and heavy riffs, with transitions aided by cool bass lines and drumming. The brief sampling clip merges well with the music and doesn't take away from the track. "Great Horned King" was one of the tracks that were released ahead of the album. It's a good demonstration of what the band has to offer: an overwhelmingly evil groove from the combination of the guitar, drumming, and vocals.

Sometimes, I find myself losing interest around the halfway point when listening to an album, but that is not the case with this album. The placement of the titular track, which is one of the strongest, right in the middle helps with the pacing. The track "Death Unchained" is my favorite from this release. Just the introduction alone is enough to reel a listener in. It's undeniably heavy, but still manages to have an immense groove.

The second half of the album is just as strong as the first half. "Cataclysmic Rebirth" and "Diaboli Stragis" both feature some slow and chuggy bits. The choruses pick up the pace slightly, though with interesting drum patterns, not just blast beats. "Murderer" is the album closer. My favorite part of this track is the guitar work, including the melodic guitar lead floating over the top of the mix during the choruses and the guitar solo.

Overall, the band has produced a fantastic and heavy banger of an album. What it lacks in overall speed and ferocity, it makes up for in spades with headbanging riffs. This is a solid debut effort! I recommend this for death metal fans everywhere.