It's common for North American Death/Black Metal acts to look for something organic and more into an Old School tendency (especially when dealing with recordings and instrumental tunes). It happens because there are differences between North American extreme Metal acts from others of the other scenes (maybe the load of North American Hard Rock has something to do with such an aspect). And maybe a careful listening on "Burial Sites", the second album of the Massachusetts' destroyers of EXSANGUINATION, can clarify things to many. The musical work of the quartet can be said as Old School Death/Black Metal in the aspect of filth and of some elements (as the organic approach and the tempos), but on others, they're using elements of Black Metal and even of traditional Heavy Metal (as some nasty melodies heard on "Coffin Dweller" and on "The Void").

To the ones that aren't into such kind of details that seems to be the focus of the writers, one thing can be said for sure: the way the quartet work is extremely personal, even having clear influences of acts as DISSECTION, AT THE GATES, ENTOMBED, IMMORTAL, UNLEASHED and others, full of energy. Be prepared to the slaughter of your ears, because the quartet isn't kidding at all! Once more (as happened on the quartet's first album, "Spectral Hymns"), Chris Johnson took the helm in his hand to work on the mixing and mastering. The focus was to created something raw and aggressive as in the 90s (the band can be young, but its members are experienced musicians, so such preference is understandable) that can expose the band's energy. Obviously it could be done on better forms, but's not bad (in reality, it is good).

The band has an Old School appeal even in the number of the songs of the album, spewing forth 8 bolts to the brains. The best ones for a first time on their musical work are "Reborn in a Casket" (massive and technical, some subjective and darkened melodies arise from the guitar riffs in many moments), "Coffin Dweller" (the contrasts given by some rhythmic shifts are really very good, especially because bass guitar and drums are play heavy as Hell), "The Pleasure to End All Pleasures" (this one brings some elements of the 80s, with tempos that brings to the mind the idea that something was inherited from CELTIC FROST), "Into the Abyss" (a short and straight song with very good and aggressive outfit and contrasts between slow and fast parts), and "Devastated by Black".

EXSANGUINATION is a very good band, indeed, and it turns the experience of dealing with "Burial Sites" a very good one. Taste it!