Review : XERATH – “Xerath I”

Xerath – Xerath I
released May 25, 2009 on Candlelight

You know, it is not so often that a band sounds better than their primary influences. It is even rarer that they manage this right from the get-go on their debut album. Xerath somehow does this with one of the most creative, coherent, and astonishingly excellent sounds of today.

Take the angular chunkiness of Meshuggah, combine it with the melodic tendencies of At the Gates, and then throw in the symphonic strings of Emperor and you essentially have the basic sound of Xerath. They like to refer themselves as remaining “on the cutting edge of symphonic metal.” There really is nothing to argue with there. I have never heard another band meld groove with strings. Luckily, it works.

For a band that is incredibly progressive, Xerath never go after a sound based on wankery. The riffs are in bizarre time signatures, but it is done artfully, so as not to rub in everyone’s faces that they are good musicians. The highlight is really on the atmosphere they manage to create. The strings on “Intrenity” are incredibly stressful, which is the primary mood of the whole album. It accentuates the unpredictability of the riffs, making you almost feel as if you are walking through a labyrinth without knowing what is around each corner. Occasionally, they change it up, with the almost uplifting feel of the clean vocal harmonies on “Reform Part I” and operative female vocals on “Nocturnum,” which give nice relief for the listener to calm and not be so worried.

I really cannot wait to see more stuff come from these guys. They have something special and could possibly be starting up the latest trend in the groove scene. We shall see, though. In the mean time, enjoy the hell out of this album.

A Best of 2009 pick!
FCC OK
Try 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10

01. Intrenity
02. Alterra
03. Nocturnum
04. Consequences
05. Interlude
06. False History
07. Abiogenesis
08. Reform Part I
09. Reform Part II
10. Right to Exist

Rating: