Album Review: Ex Deo - The Thirteen Years Of Nero
Reviewed by Paul Hutchings
2017 saw Kataklysm’s Maurizio Iacono and his Roman Empire inspired death metal outfit Ex Deo deliver their third history lesson with ‘The Immortal Wars’, an album that focused on the wars with the Carthaginian General Hannibal. It was a massive record, full of spine crushing death metal which wrapped a history lesson that would have worked much better at keeping attention focused in high school. Although Iacono had been sparing about whether a fourth album would be forthcoming, confirmation of the new record earlier this year was welcome indeed. The wait has been worth it.
Huge sweeping soundscapes abound throughout ‘The Thirteen Years of Nero’, which steers the listener through the reign of the fifth Roman Emperor, Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus in the form of ten blisteringly heavy and lovingly crafted tracks that incorporate intense orchestral scores as well as tying in instruments of the time; lyra and harp amongst them.
The album begins with dramatic audio pieces that lead into ‘The Fall of Claudius’, charting the death of Nero’s adopted father and Nero’s rise to the most powerful position in the Roman Empire. Ex Deo then follow the story of one of the world’s most notorious historical figures, an Emperor with a reputation for tyranny and religious prosecution and whose 13 years in power are widely felt to have been made him one of the evilest characters in history.
For those who have followed Ex Deo, you’ll likely be familiar with ‘Imperator’ with its dramatic and bloody video visualising Nero’s ascendency to the throne. It’s a slower, more doom filled track, but still captures the symphonic style that is such an essential part of the band’s sound. Multi-layered vocals, orchestral passages, Iacono’s instantly recognisable growling delivery and lower tuned guitars all work in unison. The tempo increases on tracks such as the ‘The Head of the Snake’ and ‘Britannia: The 9th At Camulodonum’, the latter reflecting on the crushing of the revolt by Boudicca in Roman occupied Britain. Sandwiched between these tracks is the gargantuan opus, ‘Boudica (Queen of the Iceni)’ which features the vocals of Unleash the Archers Brittney Slayes. Containing thunderous percussion and cascading riffs; it’s possibly the standout song on the album.
Throughout this impressive piece of work, the songs are interspersed with narrative which adds to the atmosphere and overall storylines as they evolve. The cinematic impact of each track provides opportunity to visualise the timeline described, the images easily formed. Nowhere is this more keenly felt than on ‘Trail of the gods’, a cleverly utilised intermezzo which links with the final four songs. A standalone piece, it’s imposing, inspiring and completely in keeping with the overall feel of the album.
The lyre provides the introduction for ‘The Fiddle and The Fire’, another bruising and malevolent track that builds with the inclusion of soaring symphonic sections alongside brutish blast beats. It’s a track that ebbs and flows, with the burning of Christians the centre of the plot. By now it’s clear that Emperor Nero was one nasty bastard, and it should also encourage the listener to start some historical research.
As the album shifts to the final trio of songs, the atmosphere and tension does not ease, with ‘Son of The Deified’ and ‘What Artist Dies In Me’ allowing the guitar work of Jean-François Dagenais prominence, space to breath and to expand. Slower paced, the heaviness remains throughout. One final stand on the epic ‘The Revolt of Galba’ completes the storyline with the rebellion against Nero and Galba’s succession as Emperor, albeit for a short period of time. This track is a glorious conclusion to a magnificent album, full of soaring orchestral parts that contrast with some viciously heavy death metal.
Iacono is joined once more by his Kataklysm band mate, producer/guitarist Jean-François Dagenais (Kataklysm, Misery Index, Despised Icon), along with the powerhouse drumming of Jeramie Kling (Venom Inc.) and Clemens Wijers (Carach Angren, Lindemann) organising and arranging the album’s intense orchestral score.
Ex Deo’s decision to devote entire albums to specific periods in the Roman Empire’s history has proved to be a fertile ground for material. ‘The Thirteen Years of Nero’ is no exception. With the quality of the compositions, it’s hard to argue against the fact that this just might be the best album that the band have ever released.
