Demo Review: Xenomorph – Nihilistic Rustbelt Black Metal II (Self Released)

Xenomorph is a solo black metal artist who presents ‘‘Nihilistic Rustbelt Black Metal Demo II’. A painstaking re-recording and remastering of his 2021 fully live & analogue recorded demo. A record that was received with overwhelming support, now evolved to be heard the way it was meant to.

In Xenomorph’s own words:

This 4-track demo, crafted from the darkest reaches of the American Midwest, was birthed during a time of deep personal struggle, starvation and self-torture to find higher meaning in pointless existence.

Nihilistic Rustbelt Black Metal Demo II is out now and available for free download on Bandcamp.

Having no familiarity with Xenomorph’s earlier demo release, its hard to make any comparisons. However, if he says that this is what he always intended his black metal to sound like, who are we to argue?

So, what does it sound like?

Pain, anguish, torment, madness and so much more. The rawness of the tracks is akin to having your naked body dragged across freezing ice. Your skin ripping and tearing, so severe is the pain, that even numbness can’t dull the agony.

As the lone figure behind this sound, it speaks volumes about Xenomorph and the mindset that was in place when this music was created. It’s black metal drawn from the well of old-school horror but with layered elements of atmosphere. The raging tornado is the prevalent force but amongst the chaos are pockets of peace. Even if your time spent in them are so brief, they are barely noticeable.

The demo is capped off with a raging and raucous cover of the Gorgoroth nastiness that is Possessed. A very solid effort from Xenomorph.

Links

Bandcamp