Romulus [PA] (CD - 2009)

Audio Mixer: J-F Dagenais.

Arrangers: Maurizio Iacono; J-F Dagenais.

Melodic death metal and symphonic black metal are not the same thing, but there are certainly strong parallels between the two--both offer a more melodic and nuanced approach to extreme metal--and they can easily be combined, which is what Ex Deo (a side project for Kataklysm frontman Maurizio Iacono) do on ROMULUS. This 2009 release is more death metal than black metal, but symphonic black metal is clearly part of Ex Deo's recipe on an album that is forceful and intense yet intricate and musical. Actually, the most extreme thing about Romulus is the singing; replace Iacono's extreme vocals (which include death metal's "Cookie Monster" growl as well as black metal's evil-sounding rasp) with clean vocals and you would essentially be left with an epic power metal album that incorporates thrash metal elements at times. minimize