Xpus – In Umbra Mortis Sedent

Hailing from Italy, Xpus release this hefty slab of Death Metal in the form of ‘In Umbra Mortis Sedent’

Right from the off, this record sets its stall out firmly with the malevolent and slightly unnerving atmospheric tones of intro track ‘Abyssus Abyssum Invocat’, complete with chiming steeple bells and chants, before the aptly titled ’Into The Sphere Of Madness’ blasts forth at break neck speed to crank things up a notch or two. The whole album is totally unrelenting, leaning more towards the early 90’s vibe of Death Metal in its construction, yet offering some great fresh angles along the way. I was really impressed with the vocal delivery of Aren (also Bassist), a wonderful subterranean level death growl that maintains its malevolence throughout the journey, creating a great foil for all the manic buzz saw guitar work that continually punches you square in the face

Great tracks abound on this opus, ’Blood Rite Of Liberation’ with its downright catchy lead guitar licks that border on melodic in parts. The pulsating intro notes of ‘Of Purity, Chastity And Temptation’ offer but a brief moment of respite before wave after wave of blast beat driven riffage carves into your flesh. The beautiful chaos of ’Clerical Rooms Of Depravity’ which pummels from beginning to end, ending up becoming one of the strongest tracks on the album, and the wonderfully titled ’Holy Sperm Upon The Lambs’ which just says it all really

This is an unashamedly brutal and undiluted Death Metal album, which whilst regularly casting a glance over its shoulder back towards the heady days of the early 90’s when the genre was groundbreaking, maintains more than a healthy dose of fresh ideas and variances to ensure that it becomes more than relevant for today’s market

Lets be honest, if Death Metal ain’t your bag, then chances are that this will pass you by quite easily. However, if your musical leanings are towards the more brutal, blast beat driven, chew you up and spit you out end of the spectrum, then this is well worth checking out

A really well worked and crafted album that delivers on all the required levels

Recommended Track;
‘Blood Rite Of Liberation’

Track Listing;

1. Abyssus Abyssum Invocat
2. Into the Sphere of Madness
3. Blood Rite of Liberation
4. The Gates of Doom
5. Of Purity, Chastity and Temptation
6. Broken is the Seal of Equilibrium
7. Clerical Rooms of Depravity
8. Righteous Hands of Molestation
9. Holy Sperm upon the Lambs
10. Repentance, Forgiveness and Salvation

Line Up;

Mornak – Funeral guitars
Aren – Morbid voices/plaguer bass
Ulviros – AK-47 drums
Released through Transcending Obscurity Records on the 08th of May

http://tometal.com

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