Album Review: Cerebral Hemorrhage - Exempting Reality
Reviewed by Dan Phipps
Originally released in 2001, Exempting Reality was the solo release by New York brutal death metal act Cerebral Hemorrhage who were active between 1997 and 2002. Originally released via Mutilated Records the record has been given a remaster courtesy of Colin Davis (Defeated Sanity, Origin, Aborted) and a fresh coat of paint artwork wise and is ready for re-release via Comatose Music bringing a lost gem back from the crypt.
The thing with classic era brutal death metal records is they have become a very sought after commodity with collectors for example a “Very Good plus” condition copy of the 2001 pressing of this very album sold via discogs in September 2024 for £140.00. Let's start with the changes firstly new artwork. We have seen it before where Comatose have chosen to release a classic set of recordings they have changed the artwork to ensure collectors do not have their rare albums cheapened for lack of a better word, (Internal Bleedings demo collection Heritage of Sickness II comes to mind) so someone who has in the past paid big money for rare out of print brutal records appreciates this. Next up the remaster, classic era records released between 98-03 have a certain charm.
They are not clean, not polished, however the power in those records is what I love and this new mix definitely keeps that honest and brutal sound true to the time, with a big nasty guitar sound, huge low end and savage drumming. The seven tracks on this record clock in at 32 minutes of pure annihilating death metal, but it's also an interesting listen which is the key part of this time within the scene. It will never be for everyone but if you can get past the fact that these records are not going to be a pretty listen you will hear song writing within the death metal genre at its most powerful and primal and that is why I love records from this time and Cerebral Hemorrhage were definitely a key cog of this era in death metal.
I think Comatose have done death metal fans a service working to make this album available for fans who are not in a position to throw big money on an OG pressing. This record is big, nasty and brutal as hell. Safe to say it's everything you want and it's now going to be available and more accessible than in recent years so maybe take advantage of that.
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