Independent Release
Review by Tony Cannella
My first introduction to Holland’s Ex Libris was on the Femme Metal compilation “Beauty and Brutality” with their excellent contribution “Destined”. That song also appeared on their debut full-length which was released in 2008. Now this powerhouse, heavy, progressive band returns with a new 3-song 21-minute demo called “Medea”. All three songs on “Medea” are in the 7-8 minute range and show Ex Libris at their best and give the listener a diverse look at the band. The opener “Medea” blasts off and has an almost thrash metal like feel to it. On the next track “Murderess in Me”, the tempo is a bit slower but just as heavy, with hints of classic metal and some great operatic vocals from Dianne van Giersbergen (no relation to Anneke, I don’t think). Even though Ex Libris has been described as Goth (isn’t every metal band with a female singer, these days?) or symphonic metal, to me they sound closer to a technical progressive metal. They are heavier than your average prog metal band, but they play with an impressive amount of technicality and the songs are also well written and quite enjoyable. The 7-minute “Daughter of Corinth” brings “Medea” to an intense conclusion with a barrage of heavy riffs and Dianne’s in-your-face vocals. Through these three songs presented on “Medea”, Ex Libris shows where they are headed in the future. This is an excellent return to form from one of Holland’s best up-and-coming bands.
Rating – 78/100
Tracklist
- Medea
- Murderess in Me
- Daughter of Corinth
Line Up
- Dianne van Giersbergen – Vocals
- Paul van den Broek – Guitars
- Koen Stam – Keyboards
- Peter den Bakker – Bass
- Joost van de Pas – Drums
Links
MySpace * ReverbNation * Facebook * Twitter * Site