Label: Nigra Mors
Date: March 9th, 2023
Black metal maybe has its origins in Norway, or better said in Scandinavia, but I listened to much better music from the rest of Europe. Of course, no one is like Norwegians but we will soon see that Galicia (Spain) can take a really high place when it comes to black metal.
This time, two bands Xerión and Fata Inferna put their music together and made one memorable split. This kind of black / doom / death metal you can only hear from them. To me, Xerión is familiar because of our many reviews and an interview written last two years in Abaddon Magazine. Fata Inferna is not so familiar, with two demos behind them but nothing less good then Xerión. Let’s say two musical titans from the shadows got out on light of the day to rise and shine. Here are a few words about their work and album.
Next to interesting and mysterious cover photo on Fata Inferna’s side of the CD, my biggest impression and pleasant surprise is what’s inside. Black metal this band is playing is something unique and I am not surprised why they made this split exactly with Xerión. Most of the songs are gathered from their previous two demos from 2021 but there are two more songs under the names of “Angustia” and “Escarnio e Maldizer”. From the first song, “Morte, Orgasmo”, to the last “Fogueira”, every track has its own story and atmosphere.
Melodic and spooky start on the “Morte, Orgasmo” was already enough for me to see what I am dealing with. More doom than black metal but again with really black metal(ish) atmosphere, this song prepared us for typical black metal rhapsody on the next one, “Angustia”. Raw sound of the first part of the song definitely reminded me of the first wave of Norwegian black metal but with better production and more creative melody. Dynamic of this song (and others as well) is specifically modern and if you are not familiar with their work, band Opeth has a similar style.
On “Nai terra” and “Escuro Luar” breaks with solos on the end of the songs give a bit of a progressive touch to the whole thing. That spices up the entire album. Proof that they thought of everything are lyrics in a dialect from old Galicia. It’s similar to Spanish but again archaic and ancient. I am always positively impressed when I hear that and my deepest respect goes out to all bands that sing on their own language. My advice is to stay up to this on many more albums in the future.
On the other side, there is Xerión with their music from the magnificent EP “Drou” that we already reviewed here in Abaddon Magazine at the end of year 2022. That’s their ninth EP in career and with Fata Inferna twenty fourth split album. Imagine how much you have to work and to know musicians from all around the world to have a number of 24 split albums.
When it comes to their side of the CD, similar style but again very remarkable and different. “Drou” gives an impression of a band with deep experience in music. With only four songs they described what they can offer to the metal world and they are already legends. Dark and raw atmosphere of “Drou” gives you an impression that you are going through some ancient green Celtic forest. Of course, in those woods, Celtic mythical creatures are behind your back so watch out.
Opposite of Fata Inferna, Xerión is more traditional when it comes to music, with not so much fast and dynamic melodies. They represent some kind of calmer but scarier part of album. “Drou” (the song) opens the darkest door of “Demos do Kaos”. Black metal they are playing is “Xerión black metal”, let’s call it that way. So, there is nothing (except Fata Inferna) to be compared to them. “Aranheira” is the best song. A beautiful way to close the album. They also sing in old Galician dialect and that’s one of the main and the most beautiful facts of this split album in my opinion.
These two bands made one really good black metal masterpiece that will be remembered with honour. They are maybe not Gorgoroth or Mayhem but in my opinion they are writing the metal history of Spain. On many levels I can’t compare Xerión and Fata Inferna but they definitely have one more fan. Let’s give them a chance to hear their music and also let yourself enter into that Celtic wood. Maybe you won’t want to come out of there.
