I was introduced to UK four-piece Xerath as a part of a metal blog's "Prog Metal March." After hearing one track, it was kind of amazing to think that they seem to have largely flown under the radar, at least in the US. Their first album, I (are we seeing a pattern here?), was released in 2009, but apparently with little fanfare. But now, with II, we can all be exposed to the grandiose wonder of Xerath.Perhaps the best place to start is the band's stated influences, ranging from Opeth, Meshuggah, Dimmu Borgir, and Strapping Young Lad to cinematic music and film scores. I'd probably also add Gojira to the list of similar artists. Jagged polyrhythms morph to sprawling extended riffs to straightforward grooves. The vocals are mostly in the shouted/growled range, although clean vocals do make an appearance on a couple songs. Brass and string abound, and choral voices come in on songs like album closer "The Glorious Death," although the orchestral flourishes are not completely everpresent: sometimes they come in to lend an epic sense to the music, and sometimes the band just fall back to pure guitar, bass, and drums metal.
Even when the band pares back to a straightforward sound, the cinematic scope remains. The drum production in particular stands out, with a huge movie-scale sound in places even when it's just the kit instead of being extended with orchestral percussion.
Unsurprisingly for a prog band, II has at least a loose war-related concept running through it. I can't say I've deciphered the whole thing, but I first noticed it during some sound clips referencing PTSD. And then of course it became obvious as I looked over the song titles, ranging from opener "Unite to Defy" through "The Call to Arms" and ending with "Nuclear Self Eradication," "Numbered Among The Dead," and "The Glorious Death." Combining all of that with the cinematic scope, maybe there's a soundtrack to a war or armageddon movie somewhere in here for those inclined to dig it out.
But even if you're not up for looking into the deeper meaning of the concept, there's plenty to sink your teeth into. The writing and playing are excellent, great riffs abound, and the symphonic scope places it a step above its peers. The downside is that it drags in places; the songs average between 5 and 6 minutes, but some of the middle tracks don't have enough variation to keep it sounding fresh through the entire length of the song. Still, even with that nitpick, this is a killer prog metal album.
