Review by Maciek on March 2, 2013.

I was really amazed how technically brilliant this album is. There are strong influences of Morbid Angel on this album and I suppose this should be a favourite album of all MA's fans disappointed by their album starting with the letter "I". So if you feel that 'Existo Vulgore' and 'Nevermore' is not enough to satisfy your hunger for Morbid Angel sounds, you should grab this album as quick as possible.

The great opening track 'Thou Shalt Bleed...' gives great example of what these guys can do. The riffs with pull-ups are great. The overall music reminds of my favourite Morbid Angel albums (from F to H) and I have to say this is like travelling in time-machine and seeing what would have happened if Morbid Angel wouldn't decide to experiment that much with their music (which by the way would be a great loss to my collection, I really like "Illud...").

Thanks to Centurian I can experience both possibilities. And now maybe they will steal all MA's fans? Who knows... Anyway this album is not only in the style of Morbid Angel, it is Death Metal mixed with some elements of Black Metal as well and what is amazing to me I would never think that it would be able to hear sounds similar to MA and Mayhem on one album, but here it is and it sounds great. The most MA-stylized track, I guess is 'The Will Of The Torch' - brilliant track reminding a little of 'Prayer Of Hatred', but with a fresh approach with the same astonishing riffs and the drumwork at the level of Pete Sandoval. The one that is closest to Mayhem I would say is 'Damnatio Memoriae', but as with many good albums, the longer you listen to it you hear more, some bits of Hate (or maybe Behemoth), but also many other passages typical only for Centurian are amazing additions which make this album stand out as one of the best recordings in Death Metal field recently. Really strong position and a really good representation of Dutch death metal scene. It's definitely standing strong.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 10
Atmosphere: 10
Production: 8
Originality: 8
Overall: 10

Rating: 9.2 out of 10

Review by Adam M on December 25, 2018.

What we have here is a nice combination of power metal and thrash, two genres that aren’t combined often. The outcome is a sound very similar to Demons and Wizards, but fret not, this band does enough to separate itself. The thrash component of the band gives the album the type of impact that most power metal albums are lacking. I still think the power metal component overtakes everything and makes for a very sweet sounding listen.

This album is simply unique because not many bands have tried to combine these two genres in the same way. The songs have a charisma that is welcoming and makes it less cheesy than the typical power metal release. The riffs are very strong and powerful and always make for a gripping listen. If there is a flaw to the band, it’s that they are occupying the same territory as Demons and Wizards and thus have a lot to live up to. Despite sounding similar to that band, they are able to elevate their sound. Also, the songs begin to sound the same, even with the added acoustic sections and other portions to vary things up. This is still one of the better albums of the year and cements its place nicely in a very fresh and uncharted genre. The brilliant idea of combining power metal with thrash comes to full fruition.

These are songs that are also full of bravado and have an epic nature to them. It all adds up to a very solid power/thrash album that has a slight focus on the power side of things. The Extraterrestrial Compendium is a very welcome addition to this year’s crop of music and makes for a galloping and fun listen. Fans of both power and thrash metal should find something to like here as will fans of Demons and Wizards.

Rating: 7.8 out of 10