Label: Nigra Mors Productions
Date: January 5th, 2021
I’ve been following this band for much longer than I’m willing to admit. Also, I’ve written about them so much that I’m pretty sure I have nothing too smart to add. Xerión is among the most active and hardworking bands in the nowadays underground and hardly a year goes by without them issuing a couple of releases (shorter or longer) to the public. Usually in pretty limited editions, but all of them of substantial value, with respect to various aspects. First of all, their music brings along a somewhat unique atmosphere and influences ranging from crude and raw black metal to folklore. Second of all, they do not fear of implementing their local, traditional instruments into the whole. And last but not least, Xerión provides an insight into the tales of the rich ancestry of Galician lands, both lyric and music wise.
Now, on some of their previous releases Xerión offered quite a bit of musical surprises. On this rather short EP the duo takes us back to the origins of their sound. Going along with the title (you should have no problem translating it) and an urban nightmare of a cover photo, these two songs (plus a short ambient outro) take us to a path of ruin and decadence. The title track almost feels like a post-apocalyptic nuclear wind blowing across the deserts surrounding the last human settlements. Our species lays in ruin and has returned to primitivism served to us from the big screen for decades already. A slow, atmospheric track where the keyboard chimes as a church bell announcing the final hour of mankind.
The second song is much faster, still crude and dominated by keyboards and vocals. Guitars are also laid to the background here, bringing a solid structure to the keyboards that are carrying the song through. Speaking of the vocals, Nocturno’s recognizable voice goes along perfectly with the tension created by the other instruments. Bleak, claustrophobic and dense atmosphere rules throughout and the voice is certainly an integral part of making it stick out so much.
“Ruína e decadência” is not a musical revelation which Xerión is quite capable of creating (proven multiple times already). However, the EP is an example how you can be raw, primitive, grim and old school to the bone, without losing a touch of imagination. Xerión once again stands its ground firmly, providing for an exciting journey, should you just let go. Stop counting notes, arpeggios, solos and scales. Should you let the music take you, you might just find a piece of landscape and let your mind settle there.
