Xerath - III (2014)
Candlelight Records
Review by Trevor Proctor
The
great thing about attending festivals is getting to see bands you may not have seen
or heard too much of previously – this was the case for me on my first trip to Damnation
festival (Leeds, England) in 2011. I had travelled from N Ireland specifically to
see Godflesh so any other quality bands and performances caught would be seen
as a bonus.
A friend, Dean McIvor, had checked out Xerath and wanted to catch
them live so, pints in hand, we headed to catch them open proceedings on the Jägermeister
Stage with their early afternoon slot. First on stage coupled with early
afternoon can sometimes equal a small, disinterested crowd but this was far
from the case with Xerath who managed to blow away and impress their sizeable
crowd, despite the early hour. I enjoyed their set to the extent I headed
straight to their stall afterwards to buy whatever albums they had available.
Since then I’ve kept an eye on their progress and was chuffed to bits at the chance
to hear their third album, Xerath III, for review purposes. Formed in 2007 and
hailing from Basingstoke, England, Xerath’s music is a melting pot of thrash,
death and progressive metal with a significant dose of orchestral and symphonic
influences. Xerath’s previous albums have been released via Candlelight Records
and this was also the case with Xerath III which came out on the 16th
of September. The band currently consists of Michael Putman on drums,
Christopher Clark on bass, Richard Thomson on vocals and new addition to the
Xerath fold, Conor McGouran on guitar.
The
symphonic elements within Xerath’s music have always contributed to their
identifiable sound whilst also giving it a dramatic edge. This is the case with
opener, “I Hold Dominion” which starts the album in the most magnificent of
fashions, sounding like something taken straight from a sci-fi movie or video
game it blends high quality, heavy riffage with movie soundtrack grandiosity
and a dash of groove. 2053 follows and it’s typical Xerath material; razor
sharp guitar work, laced with synth-heavy effects and a riff mid-way that’ll
shake the cobwebs from the head.
There are so many tracks and highlights
throughout the lengthy duration of this album it’s impossible to mention them
all. Another two standout tracks are Death Defiant and Ironclad; two of the
heavier songs from the album and ones that’ll get the head nodding and the feet
tapping via Xerath’s catchy, heavy, groove-laden, riff laced and technical music.
Closing track, The Veil Pt II, closes the album in the grandest of fashions.
It’s an instrumental that’s heavy on the synths/strings and features a number
of progressive guitar solos – this is extremely impressive music that showcases
Xerath’s broad musical ambition. This is pure sci-fi material and it’s only a
matter of time until it’s used within a film score as it brims with both skill
and magnificence - a grand close to an ambitious album. It’s worth noting the
effects and orchestral elements in Xerath’s music are half string quartet and
half synth – another factor that adds to their overall sound.
There’s
not many bands releasing albums as long as this and it’s a brave and generous
move, an album with fourteen tracks across seventy minutes deserves more than a
salute from those seeking both quantity and quality. To have no fillers on an
album this length is an amazing feat and many bands would struggle to hold our
attention for such a period of time. This is far from the case with Xerath III;
mark my words this is Xerath’s finest hour so far and they have delivered an
album worthy of achieving them the status and attention they deserve and for
which they have worked so hard.
8.5/10
Tracklist:
1 - I Hold Dominion
2 - 2053
3 - I Hunt for the Weak
4 - Autonomous
5 - Bleed This Body Clean
6 - Death Defiant
7 - Sentinels
8 - Passenger
9 - Ironclad
10 - Demigod Doctrine
11 - The Chaos Reign
12 - Witness
13 - Veil – Part 1
14 - Veil - Part 2
Xerath - III was released by Candlelight Records on September 16th, 2014.
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