Xerath
II

June 2011
Released: 2011, Candlelight Records
Rating: 5.0/5
Reviewer: Metal-Rules.com UK Team

Xerath are an orchestral death metal band, who are actually from Basingstoke, UK. This is their second album release simply tiled ‘II’ after their 2009 release titled ‘I’.



There is no doubt this band are unique! With fantastic production and sound quality of Jacob Hansen at ‘Hansen studios’ this is most definitely an album for all metal genre lovers. Xerath combine amazing brutal and technical elements of modern progressive extreme metal with the dramatic symphonic orchestral elements. The album also features a guest performance from Emil Werstler (Daath). There are the influences of Meshuggah, Strapping Young Lad, and Dimmu Borgir, so it’s no surprise this band ticks all the boxes for me, but they also bring their own unique sound and can clearly stand their own.



I absolutely love this album; every single track brought something new, combining crushing guitar riffs, and grooves, impressive drumming and all with the cinematic symphonic arrangements, as well as taking their song writing skill to a new level. This is a great follow-up from their debut album and from the intro of the first track; which sounds more like a movie soundtrack, to the outro of the last track, there is no denying the talent of this band.



Despite these guys being pretty new to the music scene, there is no doubt of their potential and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next. This is one impressive British Metal album and one that needs to be owned by all metal fans!



Reviewer: Jo Blackened