Until the End

There have been and I’m sure that there always will be bands like Xero floating around the local heavy metal scenes of the world; that is to say bands that haven’t got a speck of originality but you can’t help enjoying their music anyway. This is the first EP released by the band and sadly it could well be their last as the group has dissolved since then, some members involving themselves in far inferior projects (Army of Scum for example).

Imagine a more or less equal blend between Di’Anno-era Maiden, early Exodus and a slightly more simplistic version of Pantera and you have Xero. Their style is unquestionably thrash metal, but with a groove that replaces the trademark aggression of the genre. However do not be put off; there is more than enough aggression to be found in the vocals. It’s traditional, gritty metal with all of the sing along choruses that one would expect, and it’s quite refreshing. Listen to the chorus for “At Will” and close your eyes. See yourself in a smoky bar screaming the lyrics yet?

The production is quite shabby to say the least; the guitars have a buzzing quality and the solos are mostly fast little numbers though painfully unoriginal (which needs to be overlooked quickly if you’re going to enjoy this CD), the bass is too low in the mix and when heard is very basic. Do not be fooled by the patchy sounding double-kick and the inaudibility of it. I’ve practiced one song with the guys before so I know that his footwork is actually very solid. Some songs sound annoyingly discordant at times, such as the beginning of the chorus to “At Will” and the intro of “Never Again”. A few more days in the studio and a slightly larger budget for the mixing procedure might have made this effort a lot better. Regardless it is a solid attempt and falls primarily in the mid-to-upper regions of the metal genre.

The song themselves are enjoyable. The patented, conventional form laid down by bands like Metallica and Iron Maiden is prevalent in all songs, almost in a textbook fashion. However, this CD just feels a lot less pretentious than most of what the aforementioned bands have done (sorry Lars). The songs flow well, they have the right amount of fills and the riffs last long enough to allow the crowd to get into the music properly, whilst retaining their metallic bite. A bit more variety and innovation on this EP would go a long way.

The vocals are probably the most prominent feature of their music, though still being terribly under produced. He has a voice which is somewhat unique and hard to compare to other vocalists (though Rob Zombie springs to mind after a few spins) and there’s a pleasant mixture of clean singing and growls. Nothing adventurous though. In contrast with the uniqueness of his voice, the lyrics are cliché, pseudo-emotional and unimaginative. As per usual, we have the themes of war, brotherhood, betrayal and emotional damage. In other words; Iced Earth’s back catalogue in less than twenty minutes.

Obviously nothing overly spectacular is to be expected on a band’s first release, but it is a decent example of modern thrash and I’m confident that their next release would have been a lot more fulfilling. Highlights include the songs “Conflict Ahead” and “Certain End”.