Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Xerath - III (2014)
I think I just found what I can consider the best album of 2014. Candlelight-signed British extreme symphonic progressive metallers Xerath released their third album (and last before their 7-year split) titled, you guessed it, III. This immersive masterpiece has revolutionized modern progressive metal, just like their first two albums have, but with more intriguing ideas in their inventory. This is true blazing epic extreme metal right here!
Xerath III has production magic from well-known Mercenary/Volbeat producer Jacob Hansen. His golden touch has helped with the perfection of this blend of orchestral drama and metal structures, creating something so unique and apocalyptic.
"I Hold Dominion" has all of those aspects to open the album in epic majesty. Next track "2053" has more melodic arrangement. "I Hunt for the Weak" shows the fascinating talent of vocalist Richard Thomson, with his black metal-ish shrieks and operatic cleans making this track come out like an epic progressive take on both Children of Bodom and Soilwork. The incredible shredding by guitarist Conor McGouran has such diverse technicality. The storm rages on "Autonomous" while having symphonic magic.
Tightening up with some groove is the heavy "Bleed This Body Clean" while having faith in their experimental ways. "Death Defiant" continues bringing that strong riffing further in conjunction with the symphonic progressive drama. One of the more unpredictable tracks is "Sentinels", all the way up to the wonderful solo towards the end. Then they push things higher up in the chaotic "Passenger". With the more futuristic cyber effects, that's the closest Xerath can ever get to sounding like Mechina. It is followed by the maniacal "Ironclad" with mesmerizing riffing and ambience.
"Demigod Doctrine" has lots of different textures, and the vocals ranging from screaming to singing are almost as impressive as Devin Townsend. "The Chaos Reign" has slight repetition in the riffing during the intro. Fortunately, we have more of the instrumental power. The chorus has some of the best cleans. "Witness" is more aggressive with a huge amount of screamed vocals. That's quite interesting, though not as much as the audible bass in the intro. The two-part 10-minute final epic "Veil" begins with the slow steady "Part I", as the band members unite in perfect synergy. Holding on to the epic intensity once more, "Part II" makes one final move at combining film score-style orchestra with metal, and it pays off, adding beautiful harmony to this apocalyptic chaos.
13 actual songs (or 14 tracks) and a time length of 66:06 may be an unlucky omen, but for me, I'm lucky to find an exceptional masterpiece from this band. I gotta go find a crown, because this album might just give Xerath the honor of being Mr. Epic Extreme Metal Universe 2014!
Favorites: "I Hold Dominion", "I Hunt for the Weak", "Death Defiant", "Sentinels", "Demigod Doctrine", "The Chaos Reign", "Veil" (both parts)