Review: Extol Return Swinging with ‘The One and the Many’

After more than a decade without a new full-length album, Extol is back, and the new single, “The One and the Many”, does not ease listeners into this new chapter. This song sucker punches you square in the jaw.

The legendary Norwegian extreme metal band has announced Aura of Decay, arriving November 6 through Solid State Records, with publicity handled by Atom Splitter PR. It will be Extol’s first full-length album since their self-titled release in 2013.

Even more exciting is the lineup. Peter Espevoll returns on vocals alongside Ole Børud on guitars, vocals and bass, David Husvik on drums and vocals, and Christer Espevoll back on guitar.

This lineup and this music are exactly what longtime fans have been waiting for.

“The One and the Many” immediately reminds us why Extol has always been so difficult to neatly categorize. There is technical precision, extreme metal aggression, progressive song writing, and that unmistakable Extol ability to make a song feel organized and chaotic at the same time.

The guitar work twists and turns rather than settling into predictable patterns, while David Husvik’s drums help drive the constant movement underneath it. There are moments where the song feels like it might completely break apart before everything locks back together.

I also love the mixture of vocals. Having multiple voices available gives Extol another weapon, and the different vocal textures complement the changing musical landscape. The combination keeps the song from feeling one dimensional and gives certain sections additional weight.

“The One and the Many” is not necessarily a song that reveals everything on the first listen either.

Karl Aksel Skjæringrud, a Christian Metal Group moderator from Norway and longtime follower of the Norwegian metal scene, had a similar reaction. He said the song grew on him after repeated listens and felt that musically it may be closer to Fleshkiller than older Extol.

Karl also pointed specifically to Ole Børud’s vocals as a highlight, while saying he would enjoy hearing Peter Espevoll’s voice layered over Ole in parts of the song to create an even heavier sound. He felt another guitar or a little more bass could potentially add even more depth.

His observation about repeated listens is especially accurate. This is music that asks something from the listener.

Karl put it simply: “It takes some listening.”

He also noted that bands filled with musicians this talented can sometimes become so focused on technical perfection that the music risks feeling too polished. With “The One and the Many,” however, repeated listens reveal more of what is happening beneath the surface. He even found himself mixing the song into tracks from Undeceived during his commute and appreciating it more as he continued listening.

That connection to Undeceived is interesting because this new material does not sound like Extol is simply trying to recreate one particular era.

The band has described Aura of Decay as carrying some of the raw atmosphere and black metal influence associated with their classic debut Burial. “The One and the Many,” though, also shows the technical and progressive development that has happened throughout the musicians’ careers.

Lyrically, Extol has once again chosen a subject that requires some thought.

“The One and the Many” examines modern tribalism, ideological division and the relativization of postmodernism through the philosophical question of the individual versus the collective. The band asks what happens when society separates into increasingly hostile tribes and how ideology can fuel political and religious division.

Christer Espevoll explained that the song reflects a culture where truth increasingly feels relative while tribal beliefs become stronger. That tension between individual identity and collective ideology fits perfectly with the unsettled nature of the music.

The structure feels intentionally uncomfortable. Abrupt movements and unconventional transitions create tension rather than giving listeners an obvious verse, chorus, and repeat formula. The music and subject matter are working together instead of existing separately.

That is one of the reasons Extol has remained so important within extreme metal. Technical ability has never been the entire point. The musicianship serves something bigger.

My biggest hope after hearing “The One and the Many” is actually that this is one of the lighter songs on Aura of Decay.

That is not criticism. This song is already heavy, complicated, and aggressive. But knowing what Extol is capable of makes me hope they push things even further across the rest of the record. If this is the doorway into Aura of Decay, I want to hear just how dark, heavy and unpredictable the rest of that room becomes.

Thirteen years is a long time to wait for another Extol album.

“The One and the Many” makes that wait feel worth it.

Extol has not returned simply to remind people who they were. They sound like four musicians who still have something to say and enough musical firepower to make sure people listen.

Aura of Decay arrives November 6 through Solid State Records.

Extol are:

Peter Espevoll: vocals
Ole Børud: guitars, vocals and bass
David Husvik: drums and vocals
Christer Espevoll: guitars

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