CoC : Angelcorpse - Exterminate : Review

Angelcorpse - _Exterminate_
(Osmose, 1998)
by: Paul Schwarz (9 out of 10)

Well, it just goes to show that trusting first impressions can easily be a mistake. When I first played _Exterminate_'s 40 minutes through my stereo, I thought the reports of this album's quality had been grossly exaggerated. What I thought of _Exterminate_ after my first listen was that it was rather average. However, I persisted. On about my sixth spin, I was rewarded for my persistence. It was like suddenly my speakers had been fixed or my ears unblocked: I suddenly realized that _Exterminate_ rules! Though _Exterminate_ is not one of the year's most innovative death metal albums, it has power, energy and riffing to rival even the most formidable of contenders. Imagine "Altars of Madness 2", but without the imitating genericism that this tag suggests. This has the pure energy and vicious death metal kick which makes albums like _AoM_, _Left Hand Path_ and _Necroticism -- Descanting the Insalubrious_ so amazing. This is one searing piece of death metal brutality. Pete Helmkamp's vocals and bass leave deep scars, the twin guitar attack of Gene Palubicki and Bill Taylor further burn the body beyond recognition and John Longstreth's drums clinch the deal by eradicating any flesh still left. These war analogies do not only come from my twisted mind and the wholly violent quality of the music: Helmkamp's lyrics also focus on war and violence and fit the battle-hungry music to a "t". Listening to the chorus of "Into the Storm of Steel" ("Exterminate -- feed the battlefield hunger, With Honor that is loyalty unto death"), you can hear and experience the power which the two combined can produce. I really can't see any fan of brilliant, powerful death metal resisting the temptation to indulge in serious neck snapping activities as a result of listening to _Exterminate_. Though _Exterminate_ has highlights ("Into the Storm of Steel", "That Which Lies Upon", "Sons of Vengeance"), you don't sit there waiting for a good song. _Exterminate_ is a 40 minute hymn to war, death and brutally fast death metal. Prepare yourself for the slaughter.

(article published 1/9/1998)

CHATS
1/31/2008	P Schwarz	Angelcorpse: How to Philosophise With a Hammergod
10/12/1999	P Schwarz	Angelcorpse: Relentless Angelic Cadavers
11/17/1997	A Wasylyk	Angelcorpse: Hammer of Metal

ALBUMS
8/4/2007	J Montague	4	Angelcorpse - Of Lucifer and Lightning
3/13/2001	P Schwarz	8	Angelcorpse - Iron, Blood and Blasphemy
12/9/1999	P Azevedo	8	Angelcorpse - The Inexorable
2/4/1997	S Hoeltzel	8	Angelcorpse - Hammer of Gods

GIGS
1/15/2000	P Azevedo	Marduk / Angelcorpse / Enthroned	Night of the Living Corpses
1/15/2000	M Noll	Cannibal Corpse / Marduk / Angelcorpse / Aeternus / Defleshed	Two Corpses, One God and No Flesh
6/7/1998	P Schwarz	Immortal / Angelcorpse / Desecration	London's Underworld Holocaust