XERATH - III
October 3, 2014, 9 years ago
(Candlelight)
Xerath, in so many ways, hasn’t made life easy for itself. Firmly implanting in not one, but two, disparaged scenes, Xerath will face the ire of purists who will, loudly, decry this band’s foundation built on the repetitive strains of djent and the melodramatic swells of symphonic black. If you’re hearing it in your head, you’re probably hearing it right: this sounds like Meshuggah over Dimmu Borgir, only poppier, and with very obvious Dream Theater overtones. Which will have a sizable part of good ship extreme metal looking for the way overboard, post haste. But for those who stick around, you’ll find a meticulously crafted record that surrounds its big promises with bombastic results, this band of Englishmen not attuned to – or more likely, not caring about – subtlety. Xerath is a group very eager to put its best foot forward at all times and this very listenable and polished-to-the-hilt album acts as the soundtrack for future captains of
ships and captains of industry, the ambition on III not containable in the least. And, as Xerath wholly accomplishes its mission statement while III winds down in its final moments (captains of industry are always the high achievers in school, right?), one can't help but think of the forethought, preparation, effort and precision that led to this expansive and successful place.
David Perri 7
