The EX DEO project is a band led by KATAKLYSM frontman Maurizio Iacono. The endeavour was conceptually based upon the history and mythology of ancient Rome. The album 'Romulus' was released in Europe on 19th June 2009 and then made available in North America on 30th June via Nuclear Blast Records. The album was recorded with KATAKLYSM guitarist Jean-Francois Dagenais acting as producer. Musicians comprised Jean-Francois Dagenais, Stephane Barbe and Max Duhamel plus BLACKGUARD's Jonathan Leduc on keyboards and bass player Francois Mongrain of MARTYR.

Guests included Nergal of BEHEMOTH appearing on the song 'Storm The Gates Of Alesia', singing a famous Caesar quote, Karl Sanders of NILE laid down a guitar solo for the song 'The Final War (The Battle Of Actium)', which dealt with Antony and Cleopatra's defiance of Octivian in Egypt, and Obsidian C, from KEEP OF KALESSIN, lending solo to the track 'Cruor Nostri Abbas'. A promotional video was shot in March in Belgrade, Serbia with director Stanimir Lukic.

In June EX DEO announced they had enlisted bassist Dano Apekian from Montreal, Quebec's melodic Death Metal outfit ASHES OF EDEN, as touring member for the European 'Paganfest' dates commencing in September alongside Finland's KORPIKLAANI, Germany's DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER, Sweden's UNLEASHED, the United Kingdom's ALESTORM and New Jersey's SWASHBUCKLE with special appearances made by Finland's MOONSORROW and Norway's EINHERJER on select dates.

Iacono reacted angrily to media assertions that EX DEO was a Christian act, stating "I would also like to also dismiss any claim that EX DEO is part of any Christian based band or beliefs. These are false allegations of people who have obviously not educated themselves with history. Rome was part of Polytheism beliefs; in other words, it was pagan, the belief in multiple gods, not Christianity until Emperor Constantine declared the Christian religion legal in Rome. That was the biggest mistake they ever made; it was the start of the fall of Rome and its ideals of free thinking, and for those who dismiss these things as something of the 'past,' well let me tell you that you live in the results of those past events and your way of thinking is based on it, and all the freedoms you take for granted. Hail Rome!"

The group put in 2009 US dates alongside HYPOCRISY, BLACKGUARD and ENSIFERUM.