About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

Diabolic remain within the second tier of Florida style death metal.

Pros

• Diabolic are at their best when they're simply blasting away.

Cons

• Uneven songwriting.
• The musicianship is not as tight as this genre calls for.

Description

• Released June 8th, 2010, on Deathgasm Records.
• Diabolic hail from the Tampa Bay scene of Florida style death metal.
• Diabolic return after an extended hiatus.

Guide Review - Diabolic - 'Excisions Of Exorcims'


After a long absence involving various legal issues surrounding recordings and claims to music, Tampa Bay’s Diabolic return with their first full-length album since 2003. Backed up by charismatic drummer Aantar Coates, Diabolic released some solid albums early on, but have only recently been able, after a few fits and starts, to get going again. Apparently, some Diabolic material appeared in a different form under the Blastmasters moniker (a project of Coates) in 2006, but went by virtually unnoticed.

At any rate, the various issues appear to have been resolved, and a new album appears from Diabolic on Deathgasm Records. Excisions of Exorcisms pretty much picks up where Diabolic once left off with plenty of fast riffs, blasts from Coates, and so on. Unfortunately, the songwriting is very uneven. Diabolic are at their best when they’re just going all out with blistering speed, but the songs tend to fall apart when Diabolic slow up the pace and attempt some groove.

The slower parts of songs tend to meander, and I find myself much more engaged with the all out speed.

In addition, the musicianship really isn’t as tight as this subgenre of death metal usually demands. However, there some really good tracks present on Excisions of Exorcisms, thus saving the album from being relegated to mediocrity.

The lack of tight musicianship has always been an aspect of Diabolic, but this was easily overlooked in the past with simply very catchy songs and good songwriting (particularly on the second album, Subterraneal Magnitude). Given this album’s uneven songwriting, I come away from Excisions of Exorcisms mildly disappointed. Simply put, I was hoping for more.

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