California-based metal quartet Exmortus quickly won over the audience at Arizona’s Pressroom in downtown Phoenix last Friday night. This was the technical thrash metal band’s second stop on a North American tour as openers for Amon Amarth, and they did a helluva warm-up job, thanks in large part to stage-stealing dueling guitar shredders Conan Gonzalez and David Rivera.
On the road supporting January 2016 release Ride Forth, these guys put on an excellent live set, filling the room with their unique blend of progressive death and power metal layered with classical influences.
And as Conan told us when he came by Jackson headquarters prior to the show, “We love to improvise on our guitar solos,” thus making each live performance a one-of-a-kind experience.
Conan’s affinity for neoclassical metal was also especially present in his solo improv moments during songs “Hymn of Hate” and finale “Metal is King.” It was an impressive outing, and a solid testament that the metal genre is in fact dominating.
The tour continues through mid-May. Check out the dates here.