ALBUM REVIEW: In Umbra Mortis Sedant – Xpus
Born out of the demise of SOULPHUREUS, Bergamo’s XPUS have very quickly established themselves as one of Italy’s premier blackened death metal acts. Since the release of their debut demo little over five years ago, and with their first full length, Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth following it just months later, XPUS have only gained momentum, signing with Transcending Obscurity Records and quickly establishing themselves as a brilliant live act. Their long awaited second album, In Umbra Mortis Sedant, sees their sound and style tighten significantly, and proves to be their most focused and impressive release to date.
After the dark, foreboding intro sets an eerie tone for what’s to come, Into the Sphere of Madness starts this album off with a powerful statement of intent, with prominent, sludgy guitars and authoritative drumming giving this song a solid sound. With the addition of dense, throaty vocals, it’s a tight, aggressive offering that is heavily informed by old school acts, without fully straying into the realm of carbon copy. Blood Rite of Liberation is a much more ferocious affair, with sharper, more focused guitars and thick, groovy rhythms giving this a monstrous quality. There’s some great, slower moments spread throughout this song that add a foreboding, bleak edge to the track, making this a very catchy song.
The Gates of Doom acts as a short, sharp shock of doom-laden aggression that, in spite of its relatively brief running time, injects plenty of energy to the proceedings. Of Purity, Chastity and Temptation starts to take the music down a different, more atmospheric route, with powerful ambience adding a mechanical quality to this songs opening moments, before a monolithic slab of bestial death metal kicks into gear. It’s got some excellent, punishing leads, primal vocal deliveries and a huge drum sound, which gives this song a much more expansive sound overall. Broken Is the Seal of Equilibrium proves to be a much steadier track, with more measured musicianship that is punctuated by rabid, unrelenting sections that work quite well. A haunting, melancholic bridge, with atmospheric church bells and soaring lead guitars, give this song a great, immersive feel that is instantly memorable. Clerical Rooms of Depravity carries this gigantic, juggernaut sound forward, making for one of the albums more epic and enduring tracks. With slick melodies thrown into the mix throughout and some great, jarring motifs, it’s a monolithic offering that has a lot of great moments.
Righteous Hands of Molestation makes use of some tar thick bass lines, grating guitars and frenetic drumming to build arguably the albums most visceral and savage outing. It’s noticeably more aggressive and feral than any of the other songs on the record, with some equally venom soaked, bellicose vocals only adding to this songs unflinching intensity. Holy Sperm upon the Lambs is the apex of XPUS‘s sound up to this point, with far more adventurous guitars and crushing gutturals giving this a far more acerbic and driven sound that really draws the listener back in, with some of the most imaginative guitar playing on the record helping to cement this particular track place as one of the albums stand out numbers, with the brief, but effective, Repentance, Forgiveness and Salvation closing the album on a wave of grandiose ambience, providing a sombre and hypnotic end to a great album.
This is a massive step up, both musically and in terms of production, for XPUS. Their sound has grown much tighter, and they are beginning to develop their own sound and style, with a few hints of classic death metal acts thrown into the mix for good measure. With a great, intense sound and with many of the tracks being liberally peppered with killer hooks, it’s clear that XPUS have used the last four years to build on their sound, and it has been well worth the wait.
Rating: 8/10
In Umbra Mortis Sedant is set for release April 24th via Transcending Obscurity Records.
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