Ex Deo is a side project of the Kataklysm band members (namely Mauricio Iacono, Jean-François Dagenais, Stéphane Barbe and Max Duhamel), as well as Jonathan Lefrançois-Leduc (ex-Blackguard) and François Mongrain (Martyr). The second album of this project - Caligvla - was released on August 31st, 2012, on Caligula's 2000th anniversary. Iacono stated in an interview Ex Deo would not heavily tour and was a secondary project to Kataklysm. A simple spin of Caligvla suffice to understand why: this is a much different effort than what the primary band has to offer.

This conceptual album - dealing with the debauched psychopath Roman emperor Caligula was - is a fine and very enjoyable effort for at least a couple of listens. Music-wise, you'd want to think of a ballsier Ancient Rites, mixed with Turisas-style scenes of war bits (sounds of battle, trumpets, orders yelled to the troops, etc.). This is some well-crafted war-themed symphonic Death Metal album; it tastes blood and honor and pride and domination... and then some more blood. The mightiness of the unforgiving Roman Empire really is ever-present. Riffs are precise and blunt, and often give you this mental image of an unstoppable Roman legion marching towards the enemy. Or, through the enemy. Here and there, you will find a solo or female vocals which avoid the album to be too redundant. What you will also find throughout the album are keyboards, and although they may be a bit over-the-top sometimes, they more often than not support the rest of the craftsmanship in an 'epic' way, by adding texture and background.

That said Kataklysm fans, don't expect finding here another Kataklysm sounding band here: for it is not. It is far more melodic, symphonic and guitars are less loud (while sometimes just as aggressive, in Teutoburg for instance). This is a different project, with a different purpose. You should be able to easily recognize Dagenais/Barbe killing duo though, in addition of Iacono's vocals which surprisingly enough fit quite well in the Roman theme. Overall the album is not groundbreaking and does not push any limit, and it is certainly not anything already heard before, but it is very solid and the Roman theme really is enjoyable. Check it out!