Otargos-Xeno-Kaos
★★★★★★★★
To create is one thing. To create the existence of Darkness is a whole different story. You could pen a line, in any color ink that you choose, writing about a void, grimness, despair, or the like. Running like a tear down the most beautiful cheek. Describing the experience of your very first cut. The pain. The addiction. The importance of that very first trophy. It works, let me tell you. However, Darkness can only be explained in a way that Frenchman Otargos deliver. Cold, Dark, Void of light, and simple.
'Xeno Kaos', the sixth installment from Otargos, continues where these Dark, Extreme Metal masters left off with 'Apex Terror'. Gradually shedding the "industrial" tag in the process, Otargos just simply fucking kill on this album. Nothing crazy musicianship-wise, just plain, utter Darkness.
If you are looking for Darkness, you have found it with Otargos. Plain and simple. 'Xeno Kaos' is Dark, haunting, and worth a spot in your playlist.
By John Lester
facebook.com/OTARGOSband
Grave Ritual-Morbid Throne
★★★★★★★★
In places I thought the album dragged, in other parts the riffs did play out well with great crunch and clarity. At other places, the music became aggressive and shined with an onslaught of brutality, and within other parts of those aggressive moments this music became nothing but a sick void of death metal. I wish that I could have heard the snare drum just a bit more crisp in the music, the vocals not so distant would have been great, though their conveying roars were fucking excellent. Overall this is a wicked sounding album, that's ready to blow your eardrums in, turn it up, and get ready for the damage! Favorite Song? Track 5! I loved the lyrical themes of the titles. Having said all of that, once you go back and give everything another listen which you will, you'll realize just how deep this album is.
By Patrick Wooten
facebook.com/grave.ritual
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