Hexis: " Abalam"

This is the first full-length from the Dannish band who gathered together in 2010. Abalam is in fact the  name of the demon from the last exorcism the title references, though in the Goetia it's really Paimon, in case this album inspires you to conjuring it up, which is a possibility as its just that dark .  The line between hard core and black metal is murky here. They pound the point home pretty relentlessly, the vocals morph into more of a hardcore shout on "Exanimis".

The songs hit like sonic shrapnel, the double bass pounds this harsh vomit out in a dense sonic stream.If you thought Nails were heavy then put on your neck brace. The song got right for the jugular in a similar manner as grindcore. This is more like a collection Seizure like bursts of  vileness. At this point it's ritualistic punishment as much as it is song writing "Sequax" forms the first thing on this slab that resembles melody. Normally I would complain, but this is so dark and futile sounding it pull all the right strings in my evil heart. The instrumental title track also carries a melodic bleakness to it.

Like anything else the band is aware too much punishment can lead to decadence. The back of at the being of "Immolabant" building back up into a furious toxic waltz. The vocals stay in a similar raspy midrange, barking out of the whirlwind. There is almost a breakdown feel toward the end of "Exhausit" , but these guys are not coming from a place of any macho posturing. Obviously with a 53 second song like, "Timor" there is not much time to really establish much in terms of song writing.  When they take more time on songs like "Neglexerunt" and "Infernis" more mood is established. Not that by any means they are laying back to ponder their feelings.

Normally we place a high value on  being sonically heavy here, this band put their foot on the gas so hard when it comes to metallics until it comes full circle and creates and album of  sonic density. The black metal elements which come by way of the dissonant tremelo picked layers of guitar that often sit in juxtapostion to a more grind core guitar part, add enough texture to keep this album from being one dimensional. In fact this album demand repeat listens to be fully digested. I'll go ahead and give it a 9, as they have succeeded in creating a blistering monster here.Its an album that will clear the room and separate the men from the boys.