Exocrine - Maelstrom (2020) Hi-Res

Two years on from the lava spewing Armageddon and Kaiju worship of conceptual offering Molten Giant, Bordeaux tech-death metallers EXOCRINE have returned with a multi-faceted but no less fantastical sonic beast in the form of fourth album Maelstrom. For the uninitiated, the word du jour is certainly transcendental, with the record picking up where it’s predecessor left off in terms of expansive soundscapes bursting forth from the sci-fi universe in which its anchored.

This time around, nuclear wastelands have been replaced by a deep-sea aesthetic, but as the hellacious FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE-esque titular track rips through amidst a barrage of blastbeats, Jordy Besse’s rapid-fire gutturals and dazzling leads theres absolutely zero doubt that this quartet mean business. There’s an additional air of bombast – a certain opulence if you will – as the chorus’ operatic vocals cut through the hyper-modern chug transforming this blistering cut into a lush composition; whilst elsewhere dare we say it, ambient, waves of retro flavoured synths drift languorously in, tempering this churning froth of tech-death waters.

There’s barely time for the brain to process this synapse-altering eargasm before riff-drenched The Kraken (featuring a suitably acerbic cameo from BENIGHTED’s Julien Truchan) emerges from the murky depths. Packing pig squeals, nightmarish atmospherics and the inherent brutality EXOCRINE have long become synonymous with, this many tentacled beast is the epitome of its fearsome moniker.

After such a ruthless yet intricately woven opening salvo, you’d be forgiven for anticipating a return to the standard (albeit extremely effective) death metal arsenal. Right? Wrong. Take the time to delve into Maelstrom’s forty-something minute cornucopia and you’ll find even more to savour besides those cranium-rattling drums and trademark arpeggios. A few repeated listens later and in creep the experimental flourishes – tracks like the symphonic-tinged Abyssal Flesh and Orbital Station usher in schizophrenic time signatures, flawless passages of virtuosic guitarwork and what sounds like an increase in programming as NECROPHAGIST-meets-RINGS OF SATURN.

What nobody did expect to unfurl from Wall Of Water’s swelling riffs and chaotic noodling however, was a trumpet. Yes, that’s right, a full-blown death metal trumpet. RIVERS OF NIHIL be damned – this is more than just a splash of safe sax action. For as the track sails out on an unmistakable outro of waves crashing against the shore, the band are channelling their inner Miles Davis and suddenly we’ve got freeform jazz licks complementing those Lovecraftian elements, making for the most gloriously jarring moment over this album’s nine songs. It’s not just a one-off either, as The Wreck’s brutal chug is interspersed with djent-inflected flourishes, softer melodic guitars and an extended mid-track trumpet solo for another masterclass in brass. That’s not to say that the record finishes quietly, as the hulking duo of The Chosen One and Galactic Gods serve up a fitting finale. Whirlwind sweeps and dazzling riffs are shot through with frenzied howls and sporadic blasts of electronica before the latter concludes this exhilarating ride on an atmospheric high note.

Like 2018’s Molten Giant, Maelstrom will pique the listener’s interest via its conceptual kraken-cum-kaiju madness, but the full-blown sensory experience EXOCRINE’s fourth record provides will ultimately retain it. A future contender for the the Unique Leader crown, this is modern progressive tech-death at its finest.