Exhumed: Gore Metal: A Necrospective

I recently watched the movie Hitchcock, a biographical film about the famed director's struggles to get Psycho into the theaters. In the film, Hitchcock occasionally imagines himself in dialogue with Ed Gein, the notorious serial killer that served as the inspiration behind the character Norman Bates—not to mention plenty of other infamous killers. The conversations in the film are not based on reality, but they do serve as a means of reflecting on the creative process, particularly as it connects to the baser realities of human nature, things like the tendency toward violence, mistrust, and even psychological obsessions.

Look, I won't compare Exhumed to a Hitchcock movie (or even a movie about him!) but it seems obvious that bands like this are pretty obsessed with what we may blandly call the dark side of human nature. Look at the album art and read the song titles—it's pretty clear that this is music about nothing less than depravity and violence. But remember, it's also probably done with a certain amount of deliberate humor, the kind that raises all these issues without actually having to indulge in them. Back in the 90s, part of the point was going beyond the already shocking elements of bands like Carcass and, yes, Cannibal Corpse. It isn't just sex that sells, folks.

I suppose I could go on, but let's think about this album a little bit. For those of you who know Exhumed, you're probably wondering why I'm even reviewing this album now. An album with this title—and by this band—came out back in 1998 and is seen as a classic of its kind. My purpose is to call attention to the fact that the album has been re-recorded. The band wants to keep the music alive and available and to record it with newer equipment and with the perspective of seasoned musicians. Does it work? It's hard to say. Re-recordings are often controversial with fans, mostly because the original sound captures something of the magic of early discovery of something new. To re-record albums like this may be to mess with something that doesn't need any help. I've never counted myself a big fan of Exhumed. Nevertheless, the album does sound good and the playing is as fast and tight and crazy as ever. Some will find this recording unnecessary, but others will always be glad for it.

Look, it's Exhumed. You get exactly what you'd expect—extreme metal that revels in overkill and shock and does so with speed and energy and power. One surprise is that this 2 CD set comes with a copy of the original version of the album at no additional cost. That's better than most re-recordings offer the fans. Check it out!

Track Listing:
1. Necromaniac
2. Open the Abscess
3. Postmortem Procedures
4. Limb from Limb
5. Enucleation
6. Casket Crusher
7. Death Mask
8. In My Human Slaughter House
9. Sepulchral Slaughter
10. Vagitarian II
11. Blazing Corpse
12. Deadest of the Dead

Added: March 24th 2015
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 2127
Language: english

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