Album Review: Begrime Exemious - Rotting In The Aftermath

Begrime Exemious - Rotting In The Aftermath

Dark Descent Records - 2022

8.5/10

A few things seem to take place without fail every year. One, a blackened death metal album that truly strikes a chord, and two, Dark Descent putting out one worthwhile record amongst many I’d deem “alright death metal albums.” Begrime Exemious are the lucky bastards that take the title of both, this year. The Canadian outfit have been around for nearly two decades, but their fourth album Rotting In The Aftermath was the first one to take hold of my attention.

Typically, the Necrophobic approach of leaning far into the blackened aesthetic is what I go after in this style. Begrime Exemious managed to sell me by leaning the other direction. Vocally, they certainly lay on the freezing shrieks of the Norwegian type, and there’s a nip in the air of blast-beats and speed-picking. But the latter point is more to fill in the cracks, leaving plenty of space for death metal riffs and pacing. Not enough? The production blends the two together in a way concise enough to properly digest all elements.

So it should come as no surprise that there’s an even amount of groove and grit. The wavy feel of blistering drumlines under smoother rhythmic clarity works wonders. “Hell’s Embrace” leaves such a hot streak with its thunderous atmosphere, spearheaded by a constant toss of piercing black shrieks and pummeling death metal chord progression. The bridges manage to capture the energy at its peak levels, and the slow emergence of a solo drives everything home. The dooming out of “Infected Mind” shakes the foundation a bit, throwing in some extra spice.

Easily, I can conclude that Rotting In The Aftermath has won my interest. Their integration of the black metal elements couldn’t have been better placed among the cracks of the surface, and tossing in doomy licks here and there gave it plenty of charm. Solid production, and knowing how to keep things clean enough to not taint it with overproduction are the key to its ability to stick. Extreme metal fans of all types should lend their ears.

Listen -> Bandcamp