Description
Viogression – Expound And Exhort – Compact Disc
Viogression – Expound and Exhort, released in 1991, is a gritty and ambitious debut album from the Milwaukee-based death metal band Viogression, and it stands as one of the more underrated gems of early ’90s American death metal. Released during the peak era of the genre, Expound and Exhort sets itself apart with its dark atmosphere, doom-laden pacing, and a blend of Florida-style brutality with a distinct Midwestern rawness that made it both familiar and unique.
While many death metal albums of the time leaned into relentless speed and technical precision, Viogression took a more measured, sinister approach. Their sound is thick and murky, marked by sludgy riffs, guttural growls, and twisting song structures that often veer into almost death-doom territory. The production is rough around the edges, but this only enhances the album’s underground appeal, giving it a claustrophobic, rotten vibe that perfectly matches its lyrical themes of decay, despair, and spiritual torment.
Tracks like “Nothing (Psychosomatic Insanity)”, “Force Fed”, and “Circle of the Divine” showcase the band’s ability to shift between slow, crushing passages and faster, thrash-influenced assaults, all while maintaining a sense of tension and narrative progression. The guitar work is inventive and often eerie, layering dissonant melodies beneath the heavier rhythms, while the drumming stays rooted in a loose, organic groove rather than rigid technicality. Vocalist Brian DeNeffe delivers a deep, agonized growl that’s both powerful and intelligible, adding to the album’s bleak emotional weight.
What makes Expound and Exhort especially compelling is its thematic ambition. It’s not just about gore and shock—there’s a philosophical undercurrent, exploring existential dread, religious critique, and inner decay. This makes it more in line with contemporaries like Autopsy, Immolation, or early Obituary, who used death metal not just as a sonic assault, but as a vehicle for atmosphere and deeper introspection.
Though Viogression never achieved widespread recognition, Expound and Exhort has since earned cult classic status among death metal purists and underground collectors. It represents a time when the genre was still evolving, and bands could take chances without adhering to a strict template. It’s raw, dark, and full of character—an album that rewards repeated listens and stands tall among the more celebrated releases of the era.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Maggot Synod
Nothing (Psychosamatic Insanity)
Puritan Flames
Winds Of Death
Fragmented Carcass
Cross Spells
As You Die
Limb From Limb
Transmigration
Choir Of Loudun
Circle Of The Divine
Choir Of Loudun – The Chanting
