February 25th seems like a lifetime ago but it’s a night that sticks in my mind. Sure I’ve checked out plenty of shows and on that night I was there supporting some friends who were part of national bill, so that’s where my attention was focused. My main focus was finding the right spot for the video recorder, getting in prime position to capture some good photos and enjoying some killer metal. So after the set and catching up a bit I headed out. No big deal, right? Boy was I wrong.
The next day, as I’m going through video footage from the show I realize I had capture a song and a half of the band who came after my friends. And that band was Exmortus. What!?! How could I have missed these guys? Maybe I need to check out some other songs. Well, it only took a few tracks for me to up and buy “Slave To The Sword,” the band’s most recent release. Man, was I hooked! Every song was up-tempo and overflowing with guitar goodness. I’m hoping the band would make their way back to DFW because I’m not missing them again. And by the grace of the Guitar Gods the A Decade of Guilt Tour, headlined by Arsis, would find its way to Fort Worth.
Making my way into the venue I headed to the merch table to check out the goods. Upon picking a “Slave To The Sword” shirt to wear around town in hopes of spreading the word about this California quartet who has been shredding their way across the country, I had the pleasure of meeting bass player Aldo Bibiano. I told him how amazed I was by the album and of course how I couldn’t believe that I missed their set when they were here earlier in the year. To my surprise he informed me that he wasn’t at that show either. Instead, and for good reason, he sat out that tour to be home for the birth of his son. He did record the album and said that he still loves listening to record. You could see how proud he was of the work that he and fellow band mates Jadran “Conan” Gonzalez (Vocals/Guitar), David Rivera (Guitar) and Mario Moreno (Drums) put into “Slave To The Sword.” As much as he misses his family I also knew the satisfaction that he must feel from performing the songs he helped create.