Metal has seen its fair share of themed/cosplay/renfair bands. More often than not, these come in the form of characters right out of a fantasy book; such as swords and sorcery (Manowar), interdimensional warriors (Gloryhammer), and interplanetary scumdogs (GWAR). Sometimes this is as inventive/silly as The Simpsons (Okilly Dokilly), Nintendo (Powerglove), Star Wars (Galactic Empire), and Breaking Bad (Heisenberg). And then there are those that take the realistic route, mimicking historical figures from bygone eras, which includes swashbuckling pirates (Alestorm), military conflicts (Sabaton), American patriotism/Civil War (Iced Earth), and Roman warriors (Ex Deo).

The latter of these bands, Ex Deo, once again sees the entirety of Canadian hyperblasters, Kataklysm, within their ranks (which includes recent addition to both bands, James Payne, on drums). Rising from the ashes of the fallen empire back in 2008, Ex Deo have remained consistent in their homage to the ancient stories of frontman Maurizio Iacono’s Italian ancestry. This is not a mere parody of a time, but an actual unearthing of his deep-rooted connection to his forebears. Throughout their four-album catalog, the band have explored the narratives of Roman figures such as Romulus (the legendary founder and first king of Rome), Caligula (Emperor Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus), the Immortal Wars (an earth-shaking exploration of the Punic Wars, a clash of titans between Hannibal and Rome), and Nero (final Emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty). With their latest EP, Year Of The Four Emperors, the band resurrects the chaos of AD 69, a year that saw the rise and fall of four emperors amidst Rome’s most harrowing upheavals.

Lead-off track ‘Galba’ tackles the story of the song’s namesake, the first emperor in the Year of the Four Emperors who assumed the throne following Emperor Nero’s suicide. As such, the music contained within the song reflects the calamity of this situation with a mid-paced galloping riff that is both crushing and menacing in tone. This is in direct contrast with the man himself, who was physically weak and unable to gain popularity with the people or maintain the support of the Praetorian Guard. In the end, Galba was murdered on the orders of Otho, who became Emperor in his place. We get a sense of Galba’s struggle with subtle keyboard passages that rise and fall throughout the entirety of the song. The ending of the track perfectly captures Galba’s eventual downfall with a somber and crestfallen cinematic flare. Of all the tracks found on this release, this is perhaps the most straight-forward, musically speaking, and contains the EP’s most infectious, pit-inducing riff.

‘Otho’ explores the deceit of Roman Emperor Otho and his scheme to take the throne from Galba, only to be eventually defeated by Vitellius. Musically, the track echoes the titans of melodic death metal such as Amon Amarth and Amorphis. It begins with a percussive-heavy section that does an incredible job of invoking images of the stomping, rhythmic marching of horses’ hooves and the thunderous calamity of a legion of soldiers striding confidently into battle. The track is, for the most part, a mid-paced affair of the melodeath variety with heavy riffs, marching drums and some truly infectious melodies. There are some smartly placed double-bass barrages that lend an added layer of extremity that reflects the murderous and treacherous intentions of Otho.

‘Vitellius’ follows the story of the man of the same name who became Emperor following the quick succession of the previous Emperors Galba and Otho. This one starts with a very ominous cinematic soundscape that, to these ears, rings like the passage of nefarious times. It then immediately jumps into a ridiculously down-tuned nu-metal riff that could have easily lived on any early Korn track. At first, it was jarring, sounding a bit out of place when compared to the rest of the EP up until this point. This is definitely the most experimental track of the four, with a vibe that is not easy to pinpoint. At some point, the overt nu-metal riff gives way to some odd keyboard tinkering that feels a bit disjointed layered beneath the structure of melodeath that the song eventually takes on. I think this was entirely intentional, as it succeeds in exuding a flamboyancy that is perfectly fitting of Vitellius. The man had the reputation of a gaudy, obese glutton who lavished himself with four banquets a day.

The final track ‘Vespasian’ is the most Kataklysm-sounding track (contemporary Kataklysm, to be more concise). Once again, the track never strays from the mid-paced melodeath formula found on the previous three tracks. However, this track is certainly the most epic, conveying a sense of triumph and finality, as the lyrics exalt the final of the four Emperors as the harbinger of a new era. The song is quite short, clocking in at just over four minutes, but packs in a grandiosity of epic proportions in its short stay.

In conclusion, Year Of The Four Emperors is a strong showing from a band who, four albums in on the same theme, could have easily become a parody of itself. I think they avoided this by choosing to release an EP of four super-solid songs that get right to the point, both musically and thematically. Had they gone the full-length route, it might not have been as poignant. I would love to see Ex Deo explore more frequent releases of this format and caliber, as it certainly makes the entirety of the listening experience much more impactful.