Hey there tech fiends, it's that time of the week again. Before we dive into today's focus, here's the usual reminder that if you're looking for more sick music, all prior editions of this series can be perused here.
Cruelty Exalted is a new group from Los Angeles that just released their self-titled debut EP recently on January 8th. Their self-titled debut is quite an interesting effort with a clearly defined direction that draws inspiration from the original death metal greats while interlocking with sleek technical death metal. At its core, Cruelty Exalted began as a one-man project of Alec Cordero who wrote the songs on the EP a few years ago, and then added in other members in time. On Cruelty Exalted, Alec performs all the rhythm and lead guitar and did the drum programming. Joining him is vocalist Yuri Kondra, and seasoned death metal bassist Todd Farnham (Invidiosus, Amiensus) along with a smattering of guest contributions from start to finish.
While there’s a lot of variety to the group’s songs due to the influx of brutal death metal and varied old-school death elements twisted inside their style of technical death metal, Hate Eternal, Informis-era Origin feel like the two core influences that drive the music forward overall. The release starts off with a creepy church hymn sounding instrumental called “Nefarious Invocation [Nauseating Divinity]” that sets a dark and eerie mood from the onset of hitting play. Then it kicks into high gear once track two, “Dethroning the Righteous” kicks off and stays that way through the following track, “Caelum Incendebat”, and continues to dominate throughout skull-crushing closer “Irrevocably Void”.
I think it’s the way the group blends and pairs ideas from different death metal era's together that makes the songs here feel so fresh. At the same time, the ruthless nature of the EP is coupled with an almost progressive death metal element rising up at times that makes the music here richer and more memorable as a result beyond being a blind display of warped vicious technical death metal. The always audible and absolutely killer bass work from Todd Farnham adds another important layer of depth and energy to the release that deserves to be mentioned. If you haven’t picked up Cruelty Exalted, it’s available as a name-your-price release through the Cruelty Exalted Bandcamp Page. Best of all, they’re working on a full-length album follow up as we speak. So, be sure to follow the group over on the Cruelty Exalted Facebook Page
