ALBUM REVIEW: Altered Ego – Sxokondo
How long should a band be active before producing a full-length album? A year? Two? Are full albums necessary in a world which is ruled by playlisting? After a decade of activity, SXOKONDO finally offer Altered Ego. With Flesh And Sky and a split EP with ORGEON TRAIL behind them, the Swiss five-piece turn their attention to the longer form suite. They offer ten tracks of the purest metallic hardcore with a rather large helping of aggression.
While Faded Brides opens with slight dreariness which can only come from grunge influences, nothing is as it appears. Settled against riffs akin to doom metal, the lacerating vocals sit frustratingly quiet in the mix. Perhaps an exercise in atmospherics as guitars grind to a crawl. Melodic metal collides with the brutality of hardcore’s visceral screams as this spiral well and truly begins. What is apparent here is a lot of thought has gone into constructing these songs as Faded Brides and later Le Dernier Civil seem split into acts as it were. Mathcore permeating through riffs keeping us on our toes. Expect the unexpected.
What makes our hearts beat a little faster is the combination of savagely down-tuned guitars and a double kick. Patented Lies sates that desire. Again the vocals sit quietly in the mix. This features throughout the record which is jarring at times but strangely keeps us engaged. When presented with the idea of hardcore, we normally think high-octane tracks with very little let up. SXKONDO provide plenty of that along the way but the addition of dual guitars or the odd solo spice up the veteran genre nicely. While we’ll comment further on the fusion, something which catches our hardcore loving attention is the expiration of breath during some vocal sections. A rawness we could never shy away from.
Something we appreciate with a not so quiet fervour is a good old fashioned chugging riff. Old Gods New Gods is awash with them and rather characteristic “blegh”. The energy is off the charts as our attention is pulled from pillar to post. Skipping strings serve as the bread for this rather meaty guitar sandwich, a mere appetiser for what’s to come with Le Dernier Civil. Some may be taken aback by the five-minute runtime, but this investment of time is more than worth it. A faster instrumental steeps with low and slow vocals. A nice change in tone we must admit. Transitioning between this, melodic riffs and guttural vocals comes effortlessly to SXOKONDO. While it could do with some slight polishing, the slight underbaked nature makes Altered Ego more charming. Especially when our attention is grabbed by carnage preceded by what can only be described as a disgusting drop into a chaotic breakdown.
The thing about SXOKONDO is we never know what we’re going to get from one moment to the next. Perhaps they live up to the translation of their name: shockwave. Are we left susceptible to the rage-filled and depressing listen that is Child Of Rage? Yes. But the bass slithering into the low and slow doom-filled riff fits perfectly. Elements of bounce mix in with a spaced-out melody. An overlaying drone sits in the space between uncomfortable and irritating. Perhaps the calm before the rage-filled storm. It comes to a sudden stop as the rage is finally vented and spirals into the “vicious descent”.
The title track serves more of what we came for. Grime-filled riffs sling mud against the kitchen wall, which sticks with no sign of letting up. A savagery reminiscent of FEED THE RHINO pricks the ears. A small complaint is raised here. Could the vocals be a touch too high? Would the song be better served if there were a lower growl rather than a higher scream? As we said, it’s a small complaint and one we’re happy to let slide when we’re blind-sided by a wall of thick riffs after an instrumental moment.
When it comes to the fusion of metal and hardcore, the usual result is metalcore, no? Melody smashed into electronics with some well-placed screams or growls over the top. The kind of thing alternative radio stations play on the mainstream level. SXOKONDO tease this slightly with Post-Truth Reality. While the base formula remains the same, the band take the time to experiment a little. Though a muted guitar allows for some effects to saunter in, the band prefer to keep their sound analogue over digital. What comes after can only be described as a cacophony of noise in the best way possible.
As we approach the end of Altered Ego, the wind down starts slightly early with Void. A near six-minute song about… well, the void, SXOKONDO take a while to get going. We wonder to ourselves whether we’re missed the memo of it being an slower instrumental piece. Effects lace the guitars as they ring out. Taps of the cymbal punctuate a chug. It’s here the vocals finally come with a concerning “I wither to nothing”. A fitting segue into closing Ruins, an actual instrumental. With guitars buzzing over the wind, have we been left with the devastation the band’s rage has caused? While a wonderful bow to seal the world of Altered Ego, we can’t help but feel four minutes of this to close was slightly excessive.
SXOKONDO give us a bit of what we fancy. A dirt filled romp through metallic hardcore which leaves us feeling like we’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards and confronted with an irritated police officer. While hardcore is known for its quickies, Altered Ego challenges that and draws out the process. As we mentioned earlier, the record is underbaked in places. Though SXOKONDO give us a debut effort which was well worth the wait.
Rating: 8/10
Altered Ego is out now via Division Records.
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