Origin:	Montreal, QC, Canada
Genres:	Black Metal

Ex Deo

Glancing at the lineup here, this would appear to be nothing more than a Kataklysm side project, but in reality this is vocalist Maurizio Iacono's vision, basically to set the stories and history of ancient Rome to death/black metal. Yes, the rest of Kataklysm is along for the ride, along with two other guys, and yes, there is some death metal here, but surprisingly this really isn't all that much like Kataklysm. The music is more of a mid-paced death/black hybrid, almost groove metal at times, with keyboards providing excellent atmospherics that seem perfect when melded with the majesty of the concept lyrics detailing the Roman civilization. Iacono's vocals are forceful, not generic death growls and not really the more hardcore-ish style of his main band either. While Kataklysm is still a relevant force in the extreme metal world, Ex Deo is arguably a more dynamic prospect. Whether this becomes a long-term project or not is unclear, but Romulus is a surprisingly good effort.