Andy Gillion - Exilium

Angry Metal Guy 60

While underground solo albums can be a scary prospect, Exilium is an exception. Andy Gillion served as lead guitarist and primary songwriter for Mors Principium Est in their heyday, from 2012’s …And Death Said Live through 2020’s Seven. This has earned him a permanent spot in both melodeath royalty and my heart, and got me thrilled to review Exilium. Gillion’s prolific solo career has spanned video game soundtracks, melodeath, and chiptune-infused metal. However, Exilium goes out on no limbs, opting instead for a synthy, rifftastic style that will please fans of Mors Principium Est. It doesn’t rewrite the playbook, but it’s a damn good specimen nonetheless.

If we crudely divide melodeath along the axes of sad-energetic and simple-techy, Exilium falls squarely in the energetic/techy quadrant. Foremost a guitarist’s album, its chugging riffs carry on the melodeath tradition without dulling their fury, punctuated by soaring climactic guitar solos. Gillion’s signature bleeds through most clearly in the album’s techiest sections, which blend simple rhythms with light-speed fretboard gymnastics (“As the Kingdom Burns”). Just as MPE-evocative are the symphonic sections, which flow seamlessly with the guitar parts to create a thrilling interplay (“Prophecy,” “Avenging the Fallen”). Outside of a fantastic guest spot from Unleash the Archers’ Brittney Slayes, Gillion handles lead vocals for the first time in his solo career. Ranging from emotive growls to clean metalcore screams, the vocals are cookie-cutter but get the job done. Similarly, Dave Haley’s (Psycroptic) session drums are standard fare with occasional shining spots (“Acceptance”). Simply put, Andy Gillion’s newest record sounds like the Andy Gillion era of Mors Principium Est, tinged with metalcore from the aughts.

Exilium by Andy Gillion

Accordingly, Exilium takes few risks. Textbook melodeath is fun, but it tarnishes over time. As a result, the album’s simpler tracks come off as kneecapped imitations of the highlights. This worsens as the album progresses; the latecomer “Call to Arms” is conspicuously inconspicuous, fading into the background on every listen. An over-reliance on simple poppy song structures dulls even the bangerest tracks, like “A New Path.” While Mors Principium Est’s best work excelled in both its creativity and its heft, Exilium shirks one for the other. Still, the highlights that bookend the album are a refreshing exception. The opener “Prophecy” nails its back-and-forth between keys and guitars, while the title track’s evolving dual-guitar assault is both unique and gorgeous. Exilium would benefit from more of this.

But as they say in Finland: riffity riff riff, motherfucker. Exilium ventures across the complexity spectrum and hits across the board. On one end, “A New Path” isn’t in contention for a Fields Medal, but its opening meloriff is irresistible nevertheless. On the other end, “The Haunting” drags me in with its noodly technicality. In the middle sits “Avenging the Fallen,” whose keyboard shenanigans and soaring melodies provide a vivid reminder of why metalcore was such a seductive temptress. However, these all pale in comparison to the closer “Acceptance.” Combining an unforgettable drum performance, a frenetic main melody that recalls …And Death Said Live’s closer “Dead Wings of Hope,” and unrestrained vocals, Exilium’s closer colonized my brain so hard that it delayed my progress on both a critical work assignment and my editing of Nameless N00b 89’s drivel.¹² While AMG has vowed to murderize anyone who writes a track-by-track review, Exilium’s highlight is its highlights. Despite the album’s big-picture flaws, it’s got barnburner melodies.

Just listen to this album. It’s impressive, it’s fun as hell, and it’s a fantastic use of 35 minutes. Exilium is the archetypal 3.0; it doesn’t break new ground, but it showcases a formidable artist who’s mastered a style, with no air of pretension.³ Every human being should adore Mors Principium Est’s best records, which provide iconic examples of riffs with both sharp teeth and a strong unifying jaw. And anyone who loves MPE should give Exilium a shot. So whoever you are, just listen to this album.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: WAV
Label: Self-Released
Websites: andygillion.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/andygillionmusic
Releases Worldwide: October 11th, 2024

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