Undeceived

The follow-up to Extol's well-received debut, Burial, Undeceived only enhanced the group's progressive/death metal reputation. Adding generous amounts of violin and cello parts to their Christian death metal bombast, Extol deepened their musical pallet without weakening Undeceived and its aggressive metal stance. The guitar and bass playing is exceptionally precise throughout this disc. Musicians might want to check out the title track and "Where Sleep Is Rest" if any inspiration is needed to finish out those eight-hour days of hyperspeed woodsheding. There are also quasi-jazz moments of complex melodicism and even mellower acoustic tracks offering brief sedation. All of this breaks things up nicely without sounding too experimental. Perhaps "A Structure of Souls" best encapsulates this musical diversity and all-out heaviness that defines Extol. There aren't many weak or one-sided tracks on Undeceived, and listeners who enjoy the most brutal and daring extreme metal should definitely check out this 2000 release. ~ Vincent Jeffries