Exalt

Following a great split record with Counterparts, Kitchener, ON's Exalt are back with their debut full-length. Breach False Minds is hard and melodic, similar to Rise & Fall, with the tempo pulled back slightly and a little bit of a chaotic sound mixed in. Hitting like an anvil, it's songs like "No Son" where they put all their power on display. Beginning with a flurry of blast beats and feedback, the band transition into a section of squelching guitars amidst the chaos, à la the Chariot, before dropping the hammer into a tom build and finally, after Tyler Brand's tortured shouting, a brutal half-time mosh section. The double-kick section of "Onward" carries even more weight since Tim Waugh refrains from using them over the record. Alternatively, "Partisan Eyes" is peppered with snare hits to accentuate the mayhem. This is compelling stuff.