EXCARNATED ENTITY is a Death/Doom Metal band out of Seattle, Washington. On May 22, 2019, they issued their demo entitled, "Stillborn in Ash." Some two years later - May 10, 2021, to be exact - the four-track demo was completely remastered and released on Nuclear Winter Records. Even the artwork and design were reworked. The only things that stayed the same were the lineup, the titles, and the vehemence.

As an extreme metal album, the brutality is expected. What may not be expected, however, is the quality of the production level . . . but then again it was totally remastered, so you figure they had a vision in mind. Clearly, this rework isn't a vanity refresh but rather a full-on reboot. Essentially the album functions as their proper debut which will soon be followed their sophomore album, which is anticipated for a late 2021 release.

"Stillborn in Ash" offers up surprisingly nuanced layers of merciless metal that move with the pace and intensity of Doom. It's a strange combination, like a sonic Zamboni - you know, cold, slow moving, and heavy as fuck. With only four tracks it seems bit difficult to single out standouts or favorites, so I won't. The fact is, every one of these tracks is exquisitely brutal.

Lyrically, there's some artistry going on as well. While the lyrical imagery is consistently merciless, the underlying meaning is anything but mindless. Some of the lyrics are darkly poetic - "A furtive glance / Into the eye of unreality"- and others are deeply profound - "reason breaks for little / And mercy extended for less." Combined it's a like a Guillermo del Toro movie, but auditory rather than visual.

So, after the downfall of Grunge, I guess comes the upheaval of humanity and all that it stands for. EXCARNATED ENTITY's "Stillborn in Ash" is bound to leave lasting bruise on the Pacific Northwest music scene as well as their collective psyche. As for the International Metal Scene, well, there was much rejoicing.