Extol is such an underrated band. They've been doing their unique mix of progressive and black metal for a while. They've also spawned other unique bands like Mantric and Azusa.
Extol was the first prog/black metal band that I heard back in like 2002-3. I bought their "burial" album from a christian book store and subjected my family to it on road trips. They couldn't say anything because they got their music from the same store.
I love extol listened to them years ago. Noones mentioned it in the comments, but they are Christian death metal(sometimes called white metal). You wanna hear something crazy from them check out undecived. It opens with a violin and blends it into the music later in the song.
Just in case you didn't know. Ole Børud formed his own band after Extol (called Fleshkiller) in 2015 and released one album. Some of the other Extol members are in the band called Azusa, which have released two albums. I recommend checking them out :) So glad I was able to see Extol two times before they split up, and even so lucky to meet them a couple of times.
@@brian95240 no problem! Peter is also in a new band now, called Hrada. It is quite different from his former band Extol tho', but I believe it's worth checking out :) Fleshkiller, Azusa and Hrada are all on Bandcamp. Even Ole Børud's old band Schaliach is on Bandcamp
@@drumme19r84 I still have Lengsel's Solace album. It is amazing! I just bought Fleshkiller's and Azusa's digital albums tonight. Thank you for that tip. I will check out the last band now LOL.
Given there's only been five a week, I sincerely appreciate your taking the time to listen to my request. Thanks so much for that. This album is the most recent work of the band, and there had been a large gap between albums as they started in the 90's. Their skills have definitely improved since the Burial age, as it were, but many of my favorite tracks of theirs still come from their Undeceived album and Mesmerized EP from before 2000. There are two vocalilsts, one clean and one harsh. I would have to look up the names again. I believe the clean vocals come from the lead guitarist. The sudden and perhaps harsh transitions are something that I think have been common practice for the band since their shift from more black metal sound to more thrash metal in their album Synergy. However, I have never really thought of it as a downside, I like the shifts personally. Melodic solos have been common for this band... one of the most stark examples is the solo in And I Watch, where it's the only part of the song where you get to relax. I love his musicality. Thanks again, no worries about a massive impression, but I'm still happy you reacted at all. They've been a big part of my musical background since teen years.
Glad you enjoyed the reaction and thanks for suggesting them. It's not often that I come across a band with as much history as this one where I have no idea they even existed. It's always exciting to learn about new bands so, again, thanks for the suggestion.
@@Laros82 Hooray!!! I've exposed someone else to the band!!! Happy listening. Their black metal influences are more prevalent in their early work, although their first album Burial is sometimes hard to listen through. I would recommend coming to that later. In the meantime, their other (un)black metal albums are the Mesmerized EP and Undeceived (highly recommend Undeceived, it is still a favorite of mine), thrash metal is explored in Synergy with some really complex time changes, somewhat in The Blueprint Dives (my current least favorite album of theirs), and their most technically sound and accomplished album is their self titled album from which this song Betrayal comes.
Wow! Another Extol fan! Thanks for getting some attention to the mighty Extol, Tyler! By the way, the main vocalist is Peter Espervoll. The guitarist who also does clean vocals is Ole Borud.
I can't believe someone is finally paying attention to Extol. SEVERELY underrated band. You have to check out something from Undeceived. Subscribed! Also, one of the other big bands from Extol's time is Living Sacrifice. A different style, but still awesome. Check out Hand of the Dead. By the way, unfortunately, this is the last album that we have from Extol. They never toured behind this album as their vocalist, at least at the time, was suffering from severe tinnitus along with agoraphobia and other issues. I don't believe he's done anything musically since. The other members have gone on to form other bands, most notably Fleshkiller and Azusa. While there are only five full-length Extol albums total, they are all sonically very different while staying within the overall realm of "metal", so there is a lot of variety to explore. In order, Burial is kind of a blackened-death metal album, Undeceived is progressive death metal, Synergy is progressive thrash metal, The Blueprint Dives is progressive/experimental metal, and Self-Titled (the one this song come from) is kind of a summation of their whole career while sounding most close to progressive death metal.
2 singers: clean vocals done by guitarist Ole Børud, who is also a great funk rocker on the side. Oh, and now is the man behind Fleshkiller, that has been mentioned by others below.
Usually the main vocalist Peter does all the growls, screams and, at times, some clean vocals. But I think maybe David, the drummer, might have done some of the raw screaming here. If you see the original music video, you might get the same impression.
YES!!!!!!! That album changed my musical life. I don’t think I would have been into BTBAM had I not heard that album. And, ironically, Undeceived got me into Black Metal which would make most true black metal fans heads spin 😂. So good.
Wow! How did I miss out on your reaction to one of my favourite bands Bryan? (Thought I'd gone through them all) Not a favourite song of mine but good enough to expose some of their greatness 😊
Fleshkiller and Azusa (Extol off shoots) both employ cleans in a similar way, Alex Skolnic (I'm probably getting the spelling wrong) of Testament features on a new Azusa track and Azusa have the drummer from Dillinger escape plan and female vocals so worth checking out for sure!
Extol is my favorite metal band. They are amazing and yes very underrated. Ive met them, nice guys. The vocalist can do many different styles of screams/growls. Extol are professionals. They arent very well known but they are the first real metal band I heard in 1998 and my mind was blown. ❤
Great analysis as usual. I know japan week was a month ago but I'd like to see your reaction to sokoninaru, preferably the song Gou Ni Moyu. You seem to know your stuff pretty well and I'd like to see if you think it's masterclass stuff or just a big mess. But at the end you're going to see something special if you check them out.
Welcome back... if you're thinking about doing another themed week, maybe a Cavalera week. Start with Sepultura to Nail Bomb then Soulfly and end with Cavalera Conspiracy.
yassss!! I love Extol too haha been a fan over 20 years :) Undeceived album is the best album, Inferno is a great song. Time Stands Still. Mesmerized album is amazing :)
NO ONE has EVER made one of these videos about that drummer playing some children’s show in Japan while wearing a full on mascot style anime outfit who starts shredding. It’s sick.
Similar to this is Burst. They where fantastic, but complete unknown. Try flights end Or where the wave broke. Hard to describe what music they play. Maybe post hard-core.
The clean vocal sections remind me of Porcupine Tree's Blackest Eyes and/or Abigail's Ghost. Speaking of Abigail's Ghost, you should check out Bloodlust or Easy A. Very cool songs from a unique band.
Extol is the most underrated band ever. They are so good, so unique in their sound. I will love Them forever ❤️
The thing about Extol, is that each musician is very proficient in their craft. Ole Borud, though, is otherworldly. Everything he touches is gold.
yea, Ole does funk, pop, doom/classical (Schaliach), prog thrash (Fleshkiller), cover bands, etc...and did Extol!
Extol is such an underrated band. They've been doing their unique mix of progressive and black metal for a while. They've also spawned other unique bands like Mantric and Azusa.
And not to forget fleshkiller.
@@rolandweigert5169 of course! I'd forgotten about them!
considering their lyrical content and whats actually behind the lines, the tag "black metal" is really fucking ironic :D
@@rolandweigert5169 and Lengsel :)
I would say they are more thrashy death than black metal.
Extol was the first prog/black metal band that I heard back in like 2002-3. I bought their "burial" album from a christian book store and subjected my family to it on road trips. They couldn't say anything because they got their music from the same store.
Dude, these guys, ZAO, Living Sacrifice, Project 86, and Beloved. Love those old Solid State/Tooth and Nail bands.
Burial Undeceived and Mesmerized are some of the best albums around for sure.
I love extol listened to them years ago. Noones mentioned it in the comments, but they are Christian death metal(sometimes called white metal). You wanna hear something crazy from them check out undecived. It opens with a violin and blends it into the music later in the song.
Just in case you didn't know. Ole Børud formed his own band after Extol (called Fleshkiller) in 2015 and released one album. Some of the other Extol members are in the band called Azusa, which have released two albums. I recommend checking them out :)
So glad I was able to see Extol two times before they split up, and even so lucky to meet them a couple of times.
@@drumme19r84 Thanks for listing those bands! I had forgotten to check them out yet. I'm going to try finding some tracks now!
@@brian95240 no problem! Peter is also in a new band now, called Hrada. It is quite different from his former band Extol tho', but I believe it's worth checking out :) Fleshkiller, Azusa and Hrada are all on Bandcamp. Even Ole Børud's old band Schaliach is on Bandcamp
@@brian95240 Have you heard the band Lengsel or Mantric? Also bandmembers from Extol in those two.
@@drumme19r84 I still have Lengsel's Solace album. It is amazing! I just bought Fleshkiller's and Azusa's digital albums tonight. Thank you for that tip. I will check out the last band now LOL.
Given there's only been five a week, I sincerely appreciate your taking the time to listen to my request. Thanks so much for that.
This album is the most recent work of the band, and there had been a large gap between albums as they started in the 90's. Their skills have definitely improved since the Burial age, as it were, but many of my favorite tracks of theirs still come from their Undeceived album and Mesmerized EP from before 2000.
There are two vocalilsts, one clean and one harsh. I would have to look up the names again. I believe the clean vocals come from the lead guitarist.
The sudden and perhaps harsh transitions are something that I think have been common practice for the band since their shift from more black metal sound to more thrash metal in their album Synergy. However, I have never really thought of it as a downside, I like the shifts personally.
Melodic solos have been common for this band... one of the most stark examples is the solo in And I Watch, where it's the only part of the song where you get to relax. I love his musicality.
Thanks again, no worries about a massive impression, but I'm still happy you reacted at all. They've been a big part of my musical background since teen years.
Glad you enjoyed the reaction and thanks for suggesting them. It's not often that I come across a band with as much history as this one where I have no idea they even existed. It's always exciting to learn about new bands so, again, thanks for the suggestion.
This was Phenomenal! Wow added to my Playlist! @Tyler Peacock Thank you🙇🏻
@@Laros82 Hooray!!! I've exposed someone else to the band!!! Happy listening.
Their black metal influences are more prevalent in their early work, although their first album Burial is sometimes hard to listen through. I would recommend coming to that later. In the meantime, their other (un)black metal albums are the Mesmerized EP and Undeceived (highly recommend Undeceived, it is still a favorite of mine), thrash metal is explored in Synergy with some really complex time changes, somewhat in The Blueprint Dives (my current least favorite album of theirs), and their most technically sound and accomplished album is their self titled album from which this song Betrayal comes.
@@theyonlycomeoutwhenitsquiet gotcha👍🏻added Extol and Undeceived to my Playlist: 2 albums of unknown (to me) Artist
Wow! Another Extol fan! Thanks for getting some attention to the mighty Extol, Tyler!
By the way, the main vocalist is Peter Espervoll. The guitarist who also does clean vocals is Ole Borud.
Extol is a REALLY solid band. Been into them since they debuted. You should check out Baying of the Hounds by Opeth.
Well, if Extol is just solid, who would be a really great band?
I saw Extol and Opeth on the same night. Extol played first. It was an amazing evening! Two of my favourite bands!
I can't believe someone is finally paying attention to Extol. SEVERELY underrated band. You have to check out something from Undeceived.
Subscribed!
Also, one of the other big bands from Extol's time is Living Sacrifice. A different style, but still awesome. Check out Hand of the Dead.
By the way, unfortunately, this is the last album that we have from Extol. They never toured behind this album as their vocalist, at least at the time, was suffering from severe tinnitus along with agoraphobia and other issues. I don't believe he's done anything musically since. The other members have gone on to form other bands, most notably Fleshkiller and Azusa.
While there are only five full-length Extol albums total, they are all sonically very different while staying within the overall realm of "metal", so there is a lot of variety to explore. In order, Burial is kind of a blackened-death metal album, Undeceived is progressive death metal, Synergy is progressive thrash metal, The Blueprint Dives is progressive/experimental metal, and Self-Titled (the one this song come from) is kind of a summation of their whole career while sounding most close to progressive death metal.
Living Sacrifice was around long before Extol...and have at least 2 different style eras. They are very good indeed.
@@slamdancer1720 Definitely. I’m well aware of the DJ era. I have their full discography.
Extol is quite outstanding. Some of the members joined others to form the band named Fleshkiller. Maybe give them a listen too!
Don't forget to mention Azusa with the drummer and original guitarist
2 singers: clean vocals done by guitarist Ole Børud, who is also a great funk rocker on the side. Oh, and now is the man behind Fleshkiller, that has been mentioned by others below.
Usually the main vocalist Peter does all the growls, screams and, at times, some clean vocals. But I think maybe David, the drummer, might have done some of the raw screaming here. If you see the original music video, you might get the same impression.
I request for a reaction for Extol - Undeceived, Ember, Renewal
YES!!!!!!! That album changed my musical life. I don’t think I would have been into BTBAM had I not heard that album. And, ironically, Undeceived got me into Black Metal which would make most true black metal fans heads spin 😂. So good.
@@calemichael1000 same. I would not be into prog/djent/etc... if its wasn't for extol. Still listen to it till this day haha
This is Extol back in form! Could not get into the album before this one. Maybe the soft parts remind you of Pain of Salvation?
I would recommend the band, Becoming The Archetype and their song Dichotomy.
Another obscure favorite of mine!
Please react to Extol - Ember plz :)
Ole who does the clean vocals and guitar is extremely talented.
Wow! How did I miss out on your reaction to one of my favourite bands Bryan? (Thought I'd gone through them all) Not a favourite song of mine but good enough to expose some of their greatness 😊
I think this is the return of Ole Borud.
A phenomenon in his own right.
Synergy shows more structural integrity and natural time trickery aspects.
Tnks for brings back this great band! Greetings from Costa Rica Central America!
Hey check out some Decapitated - Spheres of Madness and Nile - Execration Text
The band you were reminded of, at 7:09, was it perhaps Neal Morse Band? Cause it reminded me of them.
Fleshkiller and Azusa (Extol off shoots) both employ cleans in a similar way, Alex Skolnic (I'm probably getting the spelling wrong) of Testament features on a new Azusa track and Azusa have the drummer from Dillinger escape plan and female vocals so worth checking out for sure!
Extol is my favorite metal band. They are amazing and yes very underrated. Ive met them, nice guys. The vocalist can do many different styles of screams/growls. Extol are professionals. They arent very well known but they are the first real metal band I heard in 1998 and my mind was blown. ❤
Great analysis as usual. I know japan week was a month ago but I'd like to see your reaction to sokoninaru, preferably the song Gou Ni Moyu. You seem to know your stuff pretty well and I'd like to see if you think it's masterclass stuff or just a big mess. But at the end you're going to see something special if you check them out.
Still waiting for a follow-up! ❤️
Welcome back... if you're thinking about doing another themed week, maybe a Cavalera week. Start with Sepultura to Nail Bomb then Soulfly and end with Cavalera Conspiracy.
yassss!! I love Extol too haha been a fan over 20 years :) Undeceived album is the best album, Inferno is a great song. Time Stands Still. Mesmerized album is amazing :)
Yes! Inferno, Embers and the title track off of Undeceived just sends the whole package into legendary album status.
I would absolutely love to hear your analysis on "Meguri" by World's End Girlfriend. He is a pretty unique composer
Please do one on Theocracy Mirror of souls title track.
Did the softer part remind you of Porcupine Tree by chance?
While it is highly recommended, I haven't had the chance to check them out yet.
Also, only 3 members made this album.
NO ONE has EVER made one of these videos about that drummer playing some children’s show in Japan while wearing a full on mascot style anime outfit who starts shredding. It’s sick.
I really like yo reactions
One suggestion
System of a down Mind
One of their best songs
And also my fav soad song
Similar to this is Burst. They where fantastic, but complete unknown. Try flights end
Or where the wave broke.
Hard to describe what music they play. Maybe post hard-core.
The clean vocal sections remind me of Porcupine Tree's Blackest Eyes and/or Abigail's Ghost. Speaking of Abigail's Ghost, you should check out Bloodlust or Easy A. Very cool songs from a unique band.