looks down in the gathering shadow, by exhausted prayer

looks down in the gathering shadow

by exhausted prayer

supported by

	/

Streaming + Download

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Purchasable with gift card

$7 USD or more
Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

Includes unlimited streaming of looks down in the gathering shadow via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

ships out within 3 days

$10 USD or more
Full Digital Discography

5

releases

Get all 5 Exhausted Prayer releases available on Bandcamp and save 30%.

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of The Holy Fool, Ruined, worst of all possible worlds, looks down in the gathering shadow, and what completely is not. , and , .

Purchasable with gift card

$17.64 USD or more (30% OFF)

1.	Now Grief 06:11	buy track
2.	The Noble Lie 05:55	buy track
3.	The Meaninglessness and Futility of Existence 04:52	buy track
4.	Logic of Death 07:14	buy track
5.	Death of Logic 04:41	buy track

about

Judging from the crudely drawn gorespattered logo on their older releases, I expected EXHAUSTED PRAYER to be nothing more than another brick in the already far too big wall of monotone and boring Brutal Death Metal bands. However, as the first notes of "Now Grief" sent a tingle down my spine with an melodic OPETH-type picked guitar, I was happy to realize that I was very wrong in my assumptions.

The truth is, while these LA-metalheads still maintain a certain degree of brutality, their sound is a lot more encompassing than any Death Metal band in recent memory (sans a few Gothenburgers). Every passage and every riff seems excellently executed, and there isn't a sloppy note in sight. The guitars carries the songs through melodic and high-speed parts, at times reminiscent of EMPEROR, others like AT THE GATES (it's no surprise that they cite these as their main influences). The drums sound great, adapting flawlessly to the many different styles and tempo-changes, but the audibility of the bass suffers a bit from the rather bland production. There are traces of Gothenburg here and there, but it never deteriorates to the dullness many of those bands suffer from.

I can't find a single boring moment on this impressively dynamic album, and slightly weak spots are few and far between. Some songs, like "The Noble Lie" are like brightly burning flames, constantly transforming and taking new shapes, which is actually quite beautiful to listen to. This is certainly not some mindless mistreatment of poor instruments, and I swear I can hear the guitars enjoying themselves at several points. In fact, just stop reading this review and order "Looks Down In The Gathering Shadow" right now. If you like Black or Death metal you'll at the very least enjoy the eminence of EXHAUSTED PRAYER.

credits

released September 6, 2005

mike caffell drums, vocals
swansong guitar, vocals
chris mccarthy guitar, vocals
blake russum bass

license

about

Exhausted Prayer Los Angeles, California

Exhausted Prayer formed in Los Angeles in 1997.....

contact / help

Contact Exhausted Prayer

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like looks down in the gathering shadow, you may also like:

Famine, Putrid and Fucking Endless
by Atvm

supported by 8 fans who also own “looks down in the gathering shadow”

Wow! Over the top progressiveness among the prog death best exemplars. Highly recommend, in the AOTY list. FFO: Disharmonic Orchestra, early Opeth, An Abstract Illusion, Bedsore, Dmitry Nevozhay
go to album
Transfigured In A Thousand Delusions
by INANNA

supported by 8 fans who also own “looks down in the gathering shadow”

Un bon death metal old-school efficace et sans concessions qui oscille entre le Immolation des origines et Malevolent creation ; à ne pas écouter à proximité d'objets fragiles.. Poesy Rider
go to album
Degenerations
by DISKORD

supported by 8 fans who also own “looks down in the gathering shadow”

There's something charming about bands that don't give a shit what you like and just do their own thing. Is it death metal? Grind? Tech hardcore? Who the fuck knows? It's fun though. Ghuughra
go to album
Plight of Acceptance
by The Mosaic Window

featured on Bandcamp Radio Jun 23, 2023
go to album
From the Caverns...
by Alghol

featured on Bandcamp Radio Jun 24, 2022
go to album
Summoning The Cataclysm
by Azaab

Punishing death metal from Pakistan, the new LP from Azaab is a scorcher with lyrics that tackle the oncoming apocalypse. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 17, 2022
go to album
Interdimensional Invocations
by Xoth

supported by 7 fans who also own “looks down in the gathering shadow”

This album being played over the PA system at the museum where Salvador Dali's "The Persistence of Memory" is housed is what caused the faces of the clocks in the painting to melt. meeko
go to album