Album Review: Xexyz – Gamera (Super Sargasso)

A blend of black metal, chiptune and speed metal dedicated to the worship of Gamera, prepare to kneel before your kaiju overlord. On Gamera, Xexyz maintains the essence of symphonic black metal but replaces its keyboard elements with various Nintendo consoles (NES-BM). The new album will be released on December 16th, 2022, via Super Sargasso.

Xexyz certainly offer up a unique combination of sounds on this glowing tribute to the kaiju, Gamera, and the description alone certainly sets the mind aflame. Blackened speed metal with chiptune effects? It sounds undeniably interesting.

Which it is. Even if the idea doesn’t quite work as well as most would hope.

The black and speed metal side of the band is class and Xexyz certainly play their instruments with a lot of vigour and intensity. However, the chiptune elements can be startlingly obnoxious sounding. At times, sounding completely disconnected to the rest of the music and at others, liable to set the teeth on edge. This is the over-riding feeling upon hearing the opener of Blocking the Sun.

It settles a bit in the following King Gamera as the blackened ferocity and speed intensity dominates and the ‘video game’ touches do make it feel like a classic boss battle. Whereas Destroy All Cities sees Xexyz go on a heavier rampage with sharp tones and both Worship Him and Mountain of Blood makes the chiptunes work in a more folkish and epic sounding way.

Again, it can’t be understated just how unique this record is. Even if it’s undeniably marmite – you’ll either love it or hate it.

The final few tracks certainly make the case for either side, as UFO is dominated by the effects to the point of distraction, and Turtle of Hate’s frenzy of heaviness is delightfully uncouth. Before Satan Apollo blisters and burns with blackened heaviness and proves to be a gargantuan example of how the chiptune tones can replace the symphonic elements within the band. Arguably the album’s best track.

Finally, it’s Only I Can See Your Face and it sees Xexyz delve into their speed metal bag of tricks to pull out something that moves at an insane pace. At times, still unashamedly obnoxious sounding but by this stage, Xexyz may have managed to win over some early detractors.

Links

Bandcamp | Facebook | Super Sargasso