Exordium - In Wrath Principle (2008)

Its a bit of an unusual fate that I happened to check this album out via youtube a month or so ago after remembering the bands name from the Northern Heritage split release, 'Crushing the Holy Trinity' and then not only enjoying it immensely but finding it about a week later via a local distro and buying it up quickly. Exordium from Lahti, Finland has a history that dates back to '96, but it wasn't until '01 that the self titled EP appeared followed by the aforementioned split in '05, which was then followed by another EP and a live recording before finally releasing their debut, 'In Wrath Principle' in '08.

I inhaled the coldest void

On 'In Wrath Principle' these Finns unleash straightforward black metal that's fast and aggressive with some occasional slower dirge-ish parts, as well the whole recording is loud and commanding with hammering drum work and tremolo picked raw riffs, though some minor melodic qualities can be found as well as a solo.

Gratuitous amounts of diversity may not exactly be offered during this six song thirty one minute album, in fact each song is similar enough and these guys know what they are doing, but each one is superbly well wrote and engaging and energetic through memorable riffs and sudden shifts to slightly slower and semi-melodic territories within the music, which at least for me has resulted in a fair share of headbanging. The drums are truly one of the key aspects of this release with tons of interesting fills, rolls and just flat out blasting that gives the album so much relentless power, and with the rather cold and grim guitar work it all becomes unforgiving in its overall bludgeoning execution as it ceremoniously screams out with blasphemic black metal hatred!

As their first and so far only full-length, 'In Wrath Principle' has proven to be a continuously satisfying effort, which I highly recommend getting your hands on.