Xerión - O Nada no Caos Infinito (Nigra Mors Productions) Review by Miloš Šebalj Year and a half since their previous full length record, Xerión is back with their sixth one. Sure, three of the nine tracks present here have been published in the previous year on a couple of shorter releases. Doesn’t ma�er all that much as now we have another complete picture of what the band was up to recently. And the said picture doesn’t differ all that much fromwhat the Galician duo performed throughout their career. Almost two whole decades of it. However, there’s a twist to the tale. As much as the crude, dark black metal was the founda�on of Xerión’s sound, I would note that the priori�es are shi�ing a bit. The duo has been exploring their Cel�c roots for quite some �me now. And impor�ng those influences into their music. At this point in �me it seems as if they are taking over. Not just as an influence, but as the main inspira�on behind Xerión. OK, black metal is s�ll present. It is s�ll crude, though not as primi�ve as one might expect. The band is set on crea�ng a certain dark, yet monumental, atmosphere. Supported by keyboards which have become a fundamental part of Xerión long �me ago. You might think of Cel�c Frost and their dives into the unknown. Another thing that will separate the Spaniards are the tradi�onal instruments used. Many have already been used on their previous releases. And I will not pretend to recognize them all. I’ve even seen pictures and s�ll don’t know the names of half of them. So, you cannot call these people simple minded black metal musicians as their capabili�es transcend the genre more and more as their discography flows. What actually happens on “O Nada no Caos Infinito“ is a mixture of styles providing for a very original approach to black metal. I would even call Primordial their main source of inspiration. But it is still far fetched. Most of these connotations don’t come from the music itself, but the aura surrounding the album. Some sort of a flute makes for the introduction track. That’s the one that gets the closest to the mentioned Irish titans. Onwards to the black / doommetal mixture of the second track that closes with acoustic guitar and organ. It leads into a Type O Negative bass guitar of the third track which announces a slow, atmospheric black metal song. The fourth one is the most old school of them all, going for the Darkthrone feel. Neoclassical organ interlude should separate the album, but it doesn’t. Simply because “O Nada no Caos Infinito“ heads in the same direction throughout. Thus it remains a coherent record, even if there is a multitude of references to point out. It may seem as if the album lacks a definitive direction, but it is there. Pointed to creative diversity that revolves around the elementary musical genre. The obvious truth is that Xerión found a way not to make raw black metal sound boring, repe��ve and uninspired. Whether you like it or not is a ma�er of personal taste. I can only recommend trying it out. If nothing, you might find sounds you have rarely (if ever) heard. Even if the original black metal gets on your nerves, there is much to learn here. Perfect for exploring another one in the vast pallet of sounds of the world. h�ps://www.facebook.com/xeriongaliza/
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