Artist: Expulsion
Title: Wasteworld
Type: Album
Label: Deepsend Records

This being their debut album, I was most surprised when I heard sound samples of this album. Formed in Holland in 2002, these gents take high-octane thrash and speed and mix it with a slice of death metal. Perhaps a good comparison is the intensity of fellow countrymen Legion of the Damned (but Expulsion have more than the one riff associated with this approach!). ‘Neoconomicon’ and Land of Empty Graves’ provides an immediate impression, with the former breaking up the cavalcade of speed with a good ripping string bending solo. The tracks on this release are pitched at about the correct running time, any longer and you would get bored, a short sharp shock of mammoth proportions. I do really like this style; others have given comments that it’s all the same and indeed one-dimensional. I suppose this can be the case, but I think Expulsion have enough ideas to make things that little bit different.

Jon Zig has handled the artwork, and has also worked with Suffocation and Cryptopsy, and depicts a world in utter destuction, although the small promo images make it hard to see the artwork in full. The mix and production is as expected in this modern day, boosted and perfected, there are no shallow points here. It can be said that each track kind of merges into one with the break in the songs sometimes difficult to decipher, but no one can deny these killer tunes. I do say that there is much more death, especially in the riffs and time signatures, some haunting notes come into play during ‘Messanic Shadows’ that remind you of Melechesh’s “Eastern” approach, the rage continues and I find myself lost with the Expulsion world. The tirade of anti politics and anti religious lyrics come out during ‘Promise Never Made’ and ‘Police State Tranquillity’ that tend to hold true in most situations. Coupled with R.B. and M.P.’s guitarwork, the unapologetic pounding of the bass and drums courtesy of M.S. and Sander (Bass – finally a proper name!) make this a terrific package. Deepsend records have been known for their great death metal releases in the past, this is a label expanding their repertoire and signing quality bands once again. I don’t think you can argue that Expulsion has what it takes to blow your mind with a torrent of heavy, I mean heavy music.

Holland has given us great albums this year by Asphyx, Thanatos and Pestilence, now Expulsion join the list and thoroughly deserve to be a part of it all. This is a cracking album of breakneck heavy thrash with a sprinkle of death for good measure.

http://www.myspace.com/expulsionmetal
http://www.expulsion.nl/
http://www.deepsend.com/

Paul Maddison

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