When Extol’s first album came out in 1998, the Christian hard music scene had been dominated by hardcore and the then-developing metalcore sound. This was being spearheaded prominently by labels like Solid State Records (a division of Tooth & Nail), and Facedown Records. Enter Norway’s Extol. No one quite knew what to do with them. Sure, there was still an active underground metal scene, but Solid State had not signed any heavy metal bands yet–only hardcore bands that dabbled in metal. But Burialwas a full-on heavy metal cacophony, bridging subgenres–progressive, black, thrash and death metal–often within one song. Take today’s track for instance. The over 7-minute opus spans a number of genres and sounds and yet manages to sound cohesive. It’s one of the most compelling metal songs of all time, regardless of worldview or genre.
Song of the Day: Extol - Reflections of a Broken Soul
By Loyd Harp in News, Song of The Day | 5 Comments
These guys are legendary and continue to push in every direction with all the various connected endeavors. Salute!
It took me years to finally get into Extol. I did get Undeceived back when it came out, and while I liked some of the songs, I wasn’t ready for it back then. It took going back and listening to Extol’s release on Facedown to give them another chance. Since then, I’ve come to love all their albums and their masterful prog metal work. Fleshkiller ended up being my favorite band of 2017, and Azusa gets better with every release.
Agreed. Fleshkiller album was amazing. I reviewed the new Azusa for Heaven’s Metal and gave it a very positive review!
Recently I finally got around to give Extol and honest listen and I’m glad I did. I am really enjoying their last two albums- the blueprint dives, and self titled. I haven’t connected with their earlier stuff yet, but I’m really liking the last two albums. What albums/songs do you guys enjoy? Has anyone checked out Mantric’s latest release?
I haven’t had the chance to dig into Mantric yet, but I’ve really been enjoyed the new Azusa, as well as the release from Fleshkiller. All of Extol’s stuff is quality, but their stylistic range is broad so some stuff will appeal to different fans in different ways. I know a few metal purists who don’t like anything after Undeceived, haha!