Ex Deo - Caligvla

Last Updated on Thursday, 28 February 2013 20:35 Written by EvaLantsoght

Artist: Ex Deo

Album: CALIGVLA

Label: Napalm Records

Genre: symphonic death metal

Website: https://www.myspace.com/exdeo

Ex Deo, the side project of the members of the Canadian band Kataklysm, have released their second album CALIGVLA. The style of the album is a combination of symphonic metal and melodic death metal: the lovechild of Rhapsody and At The Gates so to speak.

CALIGVLA tells the story of the Roman emperor Caligula, who murdered, made his horse senator, and was a notable perverted insane tyrant. His life contains enough captivating material for your average metal band.

The Canadians of Ex Deo are not your average metal band though. Their experience and skill reverberates in every track on CALIGVLA and the resulting record is simply addictive. The pace is fast, the vocals show a brilliant variety, and the music is as fierce as Sabaton's war hymns.

From the very start of the opening track, “I, Caligvla”, with it's slightly over-the-top instrumentation but kick-ass vocals CALIGVLA grabs your attention. The death metal kicks in at “The Tiberius Cliff (Exile To Capri)” - an example of melodic/symphonic metal done just right.

The slower, stumping “Per Oculus Aquila” is followed by the epic “Divide Et Impera”, which also features choral work and invokes older work by Therion.

The fierce “Burned To Serve As Nocturnal Light” again has kick-ass riffs reminiscent of Therion. The subsequent “Teutoburg (Ambush of Varus)” can stand the comparison to some of the best melodic death metal (Dark Tranquillity) combined with epic storytelling.

“Along The Appian Way” holds great guitar solos and stumping dark work similar to Primordial and the growls on “Once Were Romans” are fierce enough to cut through your flesh. The outro “Evocatio – The Temple of Castor & Pollux” brings the symphonic arrangements back to the forefront.

I can summarize this album briefly: CALIGVLA ranks among the best death metal albums I have heard in the recent years. Go and give this a listen.