To exonerate someone is to free them from blame or conviction and comes from the Latin to “unburden.” In criminal cases this can also be publicly acknowledged innocence of the wrongly-accused. Although Exoneration would be an appropriate band name for a pair of ex-criminals, the meaning for this duo is spiritual.

Born from a Facebook post in a Christian Metal group, Exoneration is an international metalcore project consisting of Corey Stiles of Arkansas and Arnaud Zijp of the Netherlands. They started in 2024 and hit the ground running, signing with Rottweiler Records and releasing the Christmas single “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Mary Did You Know,” which I reviewed as part of the Rottweiler Christmas Singles. I noted the band had potential but tried too much in one song leading it to not hit the mark, although I enjoyed the riffing and guitar work. Now with a full length album to review, let’s see what they cooked up.

Exoneration plays emotionally-charged metalcore with heavy riffs and breakdowns, using clean vocals to balance the hardcore/death vocals. They’re good students of their craft, but there is a sense of musical exploration on “Monuments To Nothing” that sees more breadth than the typical chop and stop, build up, and repeat of typical metalcore acts. Although they know their craft, their fledgling status is clear in their musical choices, which should improve over time.

Due to metalcore’s ubiquity, differentiation is hard when everyone’s supa heavy riffs start blurring together, making the human voice my first discriminant. Both members do vocals, so I don’t know who to credit with what as there is harsher death with black moments paired with clean vocals. The harsh vocals are performed decently well, but sound a little forward in the mix making the more emotional moments feel vulnerable. The clean vocals though were almost always a miss with intonation that makes it uncomfortable when emotion over takes execution. I may prefer this to dull melodies without personality, but being off-key doesn’t help. The exceptions are “This is Goodbye” and “Martyr” and the guest female vocals in “Where Else Shall We Go” when intonation was controlled, making for sweetness paired with the more bitter riffs.

When I turn my ear to the guitars, I relax. Although metalcore riffs can blur, the playing is strong showcasing some technical passages as well as melodic and harmonizing work that shows that Cory knows his way around a guitar. I particularly liked the use of harmonic thirds in the chords in “This Is Goodbye” demonstrating knowledge beyond pounding power chords. The synths added nice additional texture especially evident in the outros, but most appreciated as arpeggios in “Martyr.” A little more imagination in the drums would have elevated their sound, but largely did what it needed in support without getting in the way.

It is the juxtaposition of “other” episodes intermingled with their wheelhouse that bring the most enjoyment for me. Little things like the soft outros in songs and the quirky sound clip before “Birth By Death” gives the listener time to breathe between the heavy riffs. For me, “Psalm 115” was particularly enjoyable even if it may seem odd to have monks chanting with nary a guitar or growl in earshot. Also as a fan of instrumentals, I enjoyed “Soul Of A Great Warrior” that showcased the real strength of Exoneration in dynamic songwriting and good instrumental performances.

Exoneration’s lyrics share how Christ has exonerated us from our sins. Although harsh vocals aren’t the best for oration, I liked the heartfelt exhortation in “This Is Goodbye.” I could tell that it came from the heart and they shared Christ’s light with others. The closing song “Unfettered” I think showcases this best starting with the breakdown in the middle that builds into a hardcore worship song with clean vocals that make up for the missed intonation earlier, leaving a favorable impression on me.

I hear a band with potential and a good heart. It is a flawed work that has beautiful moments that give me hope that Exoneration will bring something uniquely their own that showcases their strengths. Although I loved the guitar work and fun exploration of genres and styles, I found that the clean vocal issues were too much for me to really enjoy. My hope is that they see what works well on “Monuments of Nothing” and move forward.

Rating: 7.0/10

Written by Sean Bailey

Tracklist
1 – The Abyss We Crown
2 – Thorn
3 – Birth By Death
4 – This Is Goodbye
5 – Psalm 115
6 – Basilisk (ft. Candelbearer)
7 – Soul Of a Great Warrior
8 – Cope
9 – Martyr
10 – Where Else Shall We Go (ft. Hillyn)
11 – Unfettered

Exoneration is:
Corey Stiles – Guitar, programming, vocals
Arnaud Zijp – Vocals, programming

Release Date: August 29, 2025

Record Label: Rottweiler Records

Social Media: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | Bandcamp

Lyric video for Basilisk