I’ve had this album in my hands for a while now, and I have grown fond of the wonderful contrast between its extremely aggressive music and the band’s tender love for details. Before I noticed, Devour and Birth, by Xenosis, has turned into my best musical discovery this year so far.
Xenosis is a Progressive Death metal band from Connecticut, and it’s formed by vocalist Sal Boya, guitarists Kenny Bullard and Mark Lyon, bassist Dave Legenhausen and drummer Gary Marotta. In 2015, Xenosis released an album called Sowing the Seeds of Destruction, which brought them critical praise and the attention of the metal audience worldwide. In early 2018, the band brings us their third full-length, Devour and Birth, officially released on January 19th.
When talking death metal, rage and violence are the first things that I’ll be looking forward to venting, and this album didn’t disappoint me. The feelings of desperation and oppressive rage are very well translated into sick vicious guitar riffs, the drummer’s brutal blast beasts and kickass grunts. As soon as the first song starts you, as a spectator, are immediately transported to a dark macabre place that, even being kind of scary, it’s also morbidly delightful.
However, Xenosis style is more than mere violence and some grunts. The progressive factor is strong on this one. A meticulous interpretation by each musician is palpable in every single track of the album. Each song develops accurately, giving a sense of being all parts of a neatly organized whole.
To name only a few of the strongest tracks, I would deeply recommend paying special attention to Army of Darkness, track heavily influenced by old school death metal, yet fluently transforming into a much modern and progressive earworm of a groove. Another one of my favorites, Ominous Opus, it’s a perfectly brutal exhibition of the drummer’s progressive influences. A rich and solid track thickened by the amazing bass work from Dave Legenhausen. Tittle track Devour and Birth stands out as a disturbingly and warlike display of the band’s trademark sound, with a flawless and incredibly tasty guitar solo that can melt faces near the end.
With influences such as Opeth’s Lopez years, Gojira and Death, among others; Devour and Birth is a highly addictive album that is impossible to be indifferent to. From the creative composition, the fusion of subgenres as old school death metal and technical progressive metal, the vivid interpretation and mad skills from each musician; all translates into an album that can’t go unnoticed for any metal fan out there.
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