Lovers of Technical Death Metal be prepared for today I get to present the France based technical (progressive) death metal band EXOCRINE and their newest thematically three part release Ascension. With self proclaimed influences influences from OBSCURA, GOROD, NECROPHAGIST, and BEYOND CREATION, the band overall seems to lean towards the more brutal side but their songs still tend to pack a punch nonetheless (however there is some use of more slam type vocals to my chagrin but with no disrespect towards the band). However, without further ado let us dive into this 40 minute piece of eviscerating technicality. Opening with "Terra", one quickly learns of the band's love for technical guitars, though also some parts akin to break downs that seem a bit arbitrary. However, this fault I find is certainly ascribed to personal taste and the clear and crisp guitar riffs certainly make one forget about all else there is. There is certainly usage of more electronic sounds one might hear in similar bands like BORN OF OSIRIS, yet thankfully these are done in a manner that accentuate the song instead of over-saturating the song with their sound. Certainly a solid song to open with, yet questionable at parts as to how the album will continue.

Sadly the first song of the first chapter comes off as a bit bland, and listening to it feels a bit like marching through it to get it over with admittedly. However, "THE FALL" experiences none of the problems of "ALPHA". While the verses are good, they can feel a bit stale, however all else I find to be near flawless. The bridge, the opening, the chorus, all are interesting and are in stark contrast to the verses. While the verses have the more usual sort of melancholic edge, the rest opts for a higher tuned and more melodic and flowing tune. This is especially true of the opening, making it sound almost like it would be an overly done track for some movie (which is a good thing here) with its use of more orchestral-esque stringed instruments, and beyond this the choruses have some very strong riffs. Following this is the second chapter of the three chapter album named The Ascension, and specifically I will be looking at "The Ascension". Sadly I cannot speak positively of it, as it feels all over the place and as if there were multiple great ideas that were mashed together. The pacing and progression lacks any clear direction (which is not to say it is unpredictable, which can be good, but rather that it just feels random and unplanned), the riffs are somewhat lack luster, and nothing seems to mesh together very well. Simply put, this is does not seem to contain the very intentionally complexly layered music of tech death but seems more random and chaotic.

Sadly, while this is less of a problem in the following tracks it is still somewhat of a problem on a more minor level, with a sort of lack luster appeal and an ever present feeling of slightly believing the tracks to be a bit chaotic. There are plenty of tech death bands who remain dynamic and interesting in their sound while often or always retaining a sense of coherence and purpose, but that is not present here. I will end it here though. Of course, one should always listen to the album instead of just listening to one opinion on the internet, but I cannot highly praise this album. It will certainly find a home with some fans, especially hardcore fans of prog tech death, but for today I am not one of those people.