Xenochord - Absinthe (Cd Review)

01.Confession
02.Absinthe
03.Delirium
04.Sunday Morning
05.Refuse To Obey
06.Greed
07.Gasping For Air
08.Maimed By Love
09.To The Living


Csabi Toth (Guitar)
Tomi Szabo (Vocals)
Gabe Nagy (Lead Guitar)
Joe Matrai (Bass)
Pete Aplin (Drums)

Guests:
Tilman Wolff-Moore (keyboards/sampler)
James McIlroy (solo on Greed)


Drawing on influences as diverse as Classical music to Black Metal, Xenochord have been creating original and complex "Progressive Death Metal" since 2007.
Describing themselves with a simple statement, "British Standard - German Quality - Scandinavian Style - HUNGARIAN PRIDE", the latter refering to their heritage.

Perhaps another important element to their music is a love of 'Absinthe', a quality to be admired from all perspectives!

Their debut album "Absinthe" is due out shortly and was mixed and produced by Tilman Wolff-Moore (Spitting Blood/Chaosanct/Samsas Traum) & James McIlroy (Cradle Of Filth/Chaosanct/Order Of Apollyon) who also makes a guest appearence on the track 'Greed'.

'Confession', Generic and brutal kick off to introduce you to a different breed of metal, sure it has the growling vocals and speed you would expect but this is in a class of its own.

The title track and a way of life, 'Absinthe' from the second the synth intro starts it creates this almost symphonic and rhythmic mood, its slow and pounding and intoxicating and is a fitting tribute to the true king of spirits.

With the mood now set 'Delirium' arrives, a perfect song in every way.The synth and bass intro reminisent of Faith No More's 'Epic' opens up to sweeping guitar solos then fires into devistating power and drum driven agression.
The lyrics are something to behold as well : "I can hear the trees talking, In the blooming desert, I can see the flowers walking, High over the mother earth,
Deep under the silted sea, Sun is shining with dark light,With closed eyes I can see, I can touch the screaming clouds".


'Sunday Morning' always a live favourite, awesome melodic guitar into powerchord structures to die for.

'Refuse To Obey' has an awesome atmospheric sampling intro and superb synth sounds intertwined with a fast becoming trademark of power, deathly vocals and melody.

'Greed' displays furious drumming, simplistic rhythm guitar, moves into a fear factory hi tech metal section and yes an awesome display of riffage from Mr McIlroy.

'Gasping For Air', dark and brooding, once again proving that superb musicianship and expert production can help create pure aural pleasure.

You would not believe the beauty of the pure symphonic intro to 'Maimed By Love' it's up there with 'Therion', then comes the full on metal attack, solid bass and drum work again punctuated by powerfull rhythms and outstanding solos and not forgetting that vocal attack.

Ending with something completly different the song 'To The Living' has another atmospheric intro and fantastic guitar from gabe, but instead of kicking in to a metal piece sticks with orchestration and spoken word, setting an ambient and calming end to a devistating album of sheer brilliance!

STU

Rating 10/10

For Fans Of : Cradle Of Filth, Celtic Frost, Meshuggah, Fear Factory