Norwegian progressive metal outfit Extol have carved out quite the niche of a career for themselves in their sporadically functioning thirty-three years of existence. Starting life as a heavily blackened (though not purely black) outfit in debut Burial, sophomore release Undeceived saw them make a lurch towards proper death, only to see third album Synergy still further flirt with thrash, ’til finally fourth LP The Blueprint Dives shed most of their heaviest tendencies into pure post-metalisms. This somewhat controversially received record was the last salvo from the band for eight years, until the self-titled Extol was suddenly unleashed, presenting a remarkably unified album which saw the band channeling each of their previously developed skillsets in a masterfully blended vision while fully restoring the metal to their prog. Now, thirteen years later, they have returned with their scant sixth album, Aura of Decay. Has time brought forth moth and rust to their treasures?

Though typically marked by an evolutionary bent from album to album, Aura of Decay sees Extol picking up right where Extol left off. Rather than focusing on any particular subgenre and augmenting it through their melodic, techy progressivisms, Extol are content to flex all their Opethian muscles at once, filtering deathly riffing, blackened accents, and creative drum patterns that lurch from thrash to death and everything in between with gusto and joy. While various songs channel more of an increased emphasis in specific flavors, with “Shield and Alibi” featuring pit-igniting ferocity, and “Vile Path” utilizing uncomfortable disso-black leads, the overall package is one which uses the widespread building blocks in the Extol toolkit to construct an album which reaches well beyond specific subgenre labels. The net result is a record where each individual cut comes with its own highlight and voice, while the complete body of work gels together with excellent assembly, and usually, excellent flow.

Extol have rarely been a band who channel aggression into typically angry or depressive fare, and Aura of Decay keeps that trend alive. Even the more intense moments across the album—the confident, modern Decapitated-esque chugging section of “Beneath the Dirt”, the melancholic arpeggios kicking off “Merciless Hunger”, to name but a couple—come bookended with tones which are drenched in color, perpetually buoyed by lead vocalist Peter Espevoll’s angelic cleans. His voice is no high-pitched, whiny power metal participant, instead featuring a confident, strong tenor. Using a technique of deeply layered harmonization, his singing adds a celestial flair both to the spacious “End of Times” and the sudden chord bends sandwiched between violent stuttering leads in “Wrecked Within Walls.” Still, the man struts his Norway street-cred aplenty, with his mighty, blackened shriek taking plenty of center stage, sometimes nodding towards Synergy with more thrash-centric rasps. Though never short of fierce moments to trigger the banging of heads, Extol fuse major keys and progressions into expected drops and snarls, leading to a work which is invigorating without channeling the regular negativity one would expect.

In Extol’s zeal for the regal and the expansive, Aura of Decay does come at a slight sacrifice of the more immediate power laced within Extol. Not every track hits with the same cover-to-cover greatness, with “Vile Path” more of a highlight-wielder than a fully fleshed-out song, and “Dimness of Lingering Gloom” appearing more disjointed in its various sections than is typical, with bass solos and uplifting choruses sounding more cobbled together with the requisite heavier parts. Generally, flow is a strength of the band, thanks to the drumming of David Husvik and his talent for creative fills in pockets and cheerful use of cymbal clangs to emphasize weight in riffs where one would normally use double bass. His performance is a standout throughout the album, meshing well with returning founding guitarist Christer Espevoll’s habit of transmogrifying ethereal, meditative leads into sudden and thunderous climaxes. “Beneath the Dirt” shows off Extol’s penchant for mercurial transitions at their best, from sparkling solos, drum virtuosity, and engaging cleans that distort into bellowing, throat-shredding, and back, consistently reinforced by Ole Børud’s meaty, cranked-up bass lines. While arguably devoid of any instant showstoppers like Extol’s “A Gift Beyond Human Reach”,¹ Aura of Decay is a grower, finding its memorability by transcending the sum of its parts, rather than being a highlight reel bolstered by “merely” good songs for padding.

Ultimately, these notes on moments of certain songs are mere quibbles, and where Aura of Decay lands in the band’s discography comes down to a matter of taste. One thing is for certain: Extol have returned with an offering which keeps their trajectory of mighty prog excellence alive and well. I can only hope it doesn’t take till my late 40’s for another offering. Colorful, vibrant, and eclectic, while competently wielding thunder and might in harmonious degree, Aura of Decay is a triumphant resurrection of the often overlooked elder statesmen of progressive metal. Though some may be disappointed by the increased focus on melodic theatrics over raw heaviness, Extol have created a worthy celebration of their history while continuing to keep their eyes firmly toward the heavens forward.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: n/a | Format Reviewed: A stream! Blasphemy!
Label: Solid State Records
Website: facebook.com/extolofficial
Releases Worldwide: November 6th, 2026

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