Dethroned / Excommunion

Brutal, brutal, brutal! Both bands exist no more, but still this split release is a mandatory purchase, especially because of the Dethroned part. Three stunning and very well crafted death metal tracks are the legacy of Dethroned.

When Excommunion passed away in 2004, bass player and vocalist Christbutcher resurrected his former band Dethroned. He found three professional musicians and the “I shall remain unforgiven” ep was recorded in 2005. These three songs are presented here together with the “Rites of the excommunion” ep by Excommunion. The Excommunion ep was already recorded in 1999 and seems to be a re-recording of four tracks from their debut demo with the same title. Christbutcher was not in the band yet during this recording. He joined Excommunion one year later, in the summer of 2000.

Dethroned is the obvious winner of this split! What a thundering surprise. Initially I tracked this cd down because the dark “Superion” album by Excommunion impresses so much, so I wanted to hear more of their twisted death metal. But instead I am totally blown away by the Dethroned tracks.

“I shall remain… unforgiven” is the title track and opener of this cd. With over 6 minutes it is also the longest of the three. Voracious death without compromise fills your cave. Long hair, slime, spit and blood drips from the granite walls. Dethroned takes no prisoners and the dead are left unburied! High speeds are maintained through the whole song. The double base attacks are insane. They seem triggered, but one thing is for sure: Dave Otero beats his kit like a machine! The grunts by Christbutcher are perfect: beastly and far from monotonous. The second song “Spiritual deformity” holds back a little, but don’t think mid-pace here, and the final track “Sword of blasphemy” rages full-on again. This is death metal as it should be: intricate riffing, lots of variation and… beating the shit out of your tight ass.

Really a shame that Dethroned called it quits also. The Excommunion ep is kind of a bonus and, at first glance, disappoints a little after the relentless fire by Dethroned. The four tracks are not bad at all, but the production is less powerful than both the Dethroned part and Excommunion’s aforementioned full-length “Superion”. So the four older tracks on this split need to be listened to by themselves. Then you can hear that a talented band is at work: the brooding death metal is already there. Take by example the propelling buildup of “Sword of the conqueror” and the ghastly grunts and screams in “Evil arcane”. The closing track “Grand astral sorcerer” is an almost nine minute, pounding death metal hymn which succeeds to hold your attention. This proves the quality of Excommunion.

This split earns “only” 90 points because it’s not a full-length by Dethroned. When one needs references: faster than Immolation, better than Incantation. Nice cover art: very dark.