27 minutes of screaming, horror delight

After almost 30 years on the scene, including a five-year hiatus, Exhumed delivers their ninth studio album which also happens to be their shortest to date. Clocking in at 27 minutes long and comprising of 15 songs, most songs on the album hit the two-minute mark. Since Exhumed’s formation in 1990, they have stuck to horror-themed lyrics and Horror is no exception. With songs like “Scream Out in Fright,” “Naked, Screaming, and Covered in Blood” and “In the Mouth of Hell,” their affinity for gruesomeness and portraying the terrifying shines in the death-grind band’s latest release.  

The opener, “Unsound,” engulfs listeners with blazing beats and starts people on the foreboding journey that Horror achieves. Throughout the album, fans get to experience a mixture of bellowing, groggy bursts and Matt Harvey’s typical recognizable scream. One drawback of the album is that different songs sound the same. From “Scream Out in Fright” to “Slaughter Maniac” to “Rapid,” sometimes it can be hard to distinguish individual tracks. 

Since the lyrics at times ride the line of being indistinguishable and the guitar work is blazing fast, it can be hard to separate each track. One track that no one can mistake it “Utter Mutilation of Your Corpse.” Only seven seconds in total, this song has the clearest set of lyrics of the album which is the title of the track. 

Both “Clawing” and “Shattered Sanity” stand out due to the guitar sequences on each. In an album that has many songs that blend together because of similar sound, when an element shines through it is hard to miss. 

Overall, Horror doesn’t defy any odds but it does deliver a creepy, sinister atmosphere right in time for the season. People will find that they don’t care about the repetitiveness that makes songs blend together because the band is solid in portraying the genre the set out to deliver. Long-time fans will get chills from the gruesome lyrics Exhumed is known for and creepy vocals; they will appreciate the allegiance and dedication the band put into sticking with the horror genre.