Law (Dig) [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Limited Edition, Import]

Exhorder | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 17, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Limited Edition, Import
• Label: Metal Mind
• ASIN: B0017M8YQM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #294,506 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Soul Search Me

2. Unforgiven

3. I Am the Cross

4. Un-Born Again

5. Into the Void

6. The Truth

7. The Law

8. Incontinence

9. (Cadence Of) The Dirge

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Truth, December 5, 2003

By 

Patrick Stott (Rolleston, Canterbury, New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Law (Audio CD)

Following up an amazing debut album is no easy task for any band. Debuts generally contain songs that the band has been perfecting for years up until their first album is recorded. After that, in many cases like Annihilator, Forbidden, Xentrix, Body Count and numerous others, the cupboard is bare. A weaker second album follows a strong debut, and everyone is disappointed. Not Exhorder.

Many fans of the band prefer 'The Law' to 'Slaughter In The Vatican', and with good reason. Where the first album was unbridled aggression vented in all directions, 'The Law' keeps organised religion squarely in the crosshairs.

Some of the sharp edges evident in the first album have been filed down. The guitar sound loses a little of the raw chainsaw quality before, but is heavier, and fuller in the bottom end. Kyle Thomas' vocals have far more melody to them. That's not to say he sounds any less angry, but Thomas actually runs through some good melodies.

Exhorder were kind of Spinal Tap-like when it came to bass players. To that end, guitarists LaBella and Ceravolo played all the bass on the first album, and all but one track on the second. Their new bass player, Franky Sparcello played an amazing slap bass backing track to "Un-Born Again", which was all he had time for after joining the band in the middle of recording. At the time, there was a big trend toward so-called "funk metal", but this didn't follow the trend. Far from being a plain bass track, slapped instead of picked, Sparcello runs up and down the fretboard with incredible dexterity, augmenting Chris Nail's jazz thrash drumming. Unfortunately, that's all Sparcello ever recorded with Exhorder.

There are a number of highlights on this album, even for a band as impressive as this. There is a hint at Kyle Thomas' post-Exhorder stoner/doom band, in the form of an excellent cover of Black Sabbath's "Into The Void". "Unforgiven" is an exercise in dynamics, using pace and rhythm to excellent effect. Never a band afraid of doing something different, the final two tracks are an instrumental in "Incontinence" and "(Cadence Of) The Dirge" which is well, a dirge. It is a bleak, oppressive song, displaying dark emotions of hopelessness, sorrow and self-pity.

While lost in the flood of Floridan Death Metal and the emerging Seattle Grunge explosion, Exhorder really missed the recognition they deserved at the time, and self-destructed after the recording of 'The Law'. However, their influence and importance has been recognised since. Perhaps because the band quit with a solid body of only two albums behind them, they had not tarnished their reputation. Personally, I would have liked to have heard a third or fourth album, further incorporating the jazz, funk, stoner, doom and any number of other elements, just to see what would have happened.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The heaviest thrash album of all time?, December 7, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Law (Audio CD)

Exhorder's Slaughter in the Vatican was a very good effort. But The Law is just amazing. I bought it when it first came out and it might still get my vote for heaviest album of all time. Into the Void is certainly the best cover tune I've ever heard. Holy smokes is it brutal! Exhorder's rhythm guitar sound is just the epitome of heaviness. It has the right mix of distortion and raspiness while still sounding incredibly tight. If you like extremely heavy thrash/speed, this one's for you.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Re-Master to a classic, March 8, 2010

By 

Frank Rini (Maryland) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Law (Dig) (Audio CD)

I have the original The Law and that was a great album. Not as good as slaughter in the vatican, but still killer. The Law saw the band develop their southern groove style a little more, w/the thrash not as prevalent on this cd, but still heavy. Metalmind did wonders w/the remaster-much heavier and clearer sounding. Once you hear Exhorder's best song-Cadence of the Dirge you will realize what true heaviness is. Was lucky enough to catch them live on this tour opening for Entombed-killer show!!!