Death/Black Metal trio EXMORDIUM formed in 201, currently located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. To date, the band has release three demos and an EP in the span of two years. "Into the Sepulchral Spectrum" is the latest EP, and contains five tracks. The name "exmordium" is an extension of the words "exordium" and "mord" which combine to mean "the dawn of darkness." "Alone in a Forgotten World" is a brief opener. The acoustical guitar notes echo with reverb and stand alone as a dark reflection of the title. It's a cold, desolate reminder of the loneliness one can feel despite the enormity of the world around them. "Portals beyond the Imprisonment of Time" is the first track with vocals. The vocals sound like they are coming from shredded throat chords; guttural utterances at times and higher level screams at others. I hear a more Black Metal sound than Death, but that is neither here nor there. There is some varied rhythms here as well, and that clean guitar interlude at the half-way mark is a nice break from the previous madness. A little phasing issues towards the end remind you that this is not ultra-polished radio music, and adds to the authenticity.

"Astral Visions of the Ageless Eye" is a little closer to the Death Metal side of the EP, although the vocals are still an amalgam of both. The chord patters are pretty accessible as well which makes the track easier to understand. They do a pretty good job of scaring up some frightening images as you listen to the song, a feature that is strong in Black Metal. "The Sorrow of an Inverted Existence" is the near nine-minute epoch on the album. That reverberating acoustic guitar once again ushers in the track for over the first minute, until the distorted guitars take over, with a blood-curling scream. At this point, things are pretty chaotic. The pace is quick, and we have passages of blast-beat drumming and vocals sung at break-neck speeds. The acoustic guitar returns about half-way through...this time a little slower and more of a droning hypnosis meant to slowly choke you to death, so the perpetrator can watch with a half-smile as he draws the life from you. The chaos returns again before a small acoustic fade-out at the end.

"Serving the Roots of Yggdrasil" closes the EP. Yggdrasil is the "tree of life" in Norse mythology, and connects the nine worlds. Creature live within the tree, including a dragon, and eagle and four stags. Four high-hat steps lead into at first a slow, distorted guitar and bass sound with some feedback. The main riff has some nice life to it as first dances down a scale and then settles into a groove. Towards the end it slows again, and is capped with a long scream. Overall, the EP has some potential. It wasn't really able to strike out on its own just yet, but there were some strong moments where you could connect with the weight of the despondence. One thing I did enjoy for sure was the authentic, stripped down production that allowed you to hear the songs at their rawest. Surely that is one of the reasons people like this music.