Copyright (c) 2007 THE THRASH METAL GUIDE
0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z X-CRETA (BELGIUM)
Speed metal meets thrash/crossover on this album producing very wild music as a result; the band plays quite fast most of the time, but the overall sound is not heavy or brutal, with vocals which sound like a cross between Schmier and Tom Angelripper. Early Bathory with a pinch of crossover would be a good description.
Patronizing the Heterodox Full-length, 1986 Vibrations of Doom X-HATRED (BRAZIL)
Modern thrash metal with progressive/technical tendencies, at least in the beginning; the album develops in an energetic pace well expressed on the short intense opener "Filthy Pride" which may annoy you with the "gruff/husky" vocal duel which will be the dominant one, unfortunately. Not much technical stuff happening on this one, but "New Nightmare" is already a more elaborate, and more satisfying, affair despite the obvious loss of speed. "Intermittent Happiness" provides intriguing dry mechanical technical thrash with a nice faster twist at the end. "Sacred Liar" is an emblematic Swedish melodic thrasher, but "Current Facts" hardens the course moving the sound a bit towards the classic school as well. The technicality has almost completely disappeared up to this point, and the band settles for a slow/fast track alternation till the end turning the album into an average offering of the Gothenburg school.
All Pages Burned Full-Length, 2010 X-MANTRA (NEPAL)
Based on "Crying for Peace", this Hymallaian act offers modern post-thrash of the doomy type which gets wild at times ("Bhasan"), but few are the deviations from the monotonous sleepy pace which is assisted by hoarse semi-clean vocals. This is "peaceful" (but not really "crying") stuff with heavy abrasive guitars.
Crying for Peace Full-length, 2003 X-RAY (GERMANY)
This is the 3rd incarnation of the thrash metal veterans Backwater; after releasing one album under the name Tai-Pan, they decided to pay tribute to the modern 90's trends, and here comes this offering, which is the guys' lowest point by a long shot. This is pedestrian groovy post-thrash at its less imaginative, despite several heavier intense sections ("LD 50") scattered around. Later some of the band members continued their career in the power metallers Chinchilla.
Dehumanized Full-length 1996 X-SEED (UK)
Mark Duffy, the man who earlier sang for Toranaga and Major Threat, has surrendered to the modern vogue, playing with his new formation your average groovy post-thrash, slow and clumsy with no surprises whatsoever. He would be a bit hard to recognize, though, since he has adjusted his singing to the music delivering in a gruff angry manner, not miles away from Jan-Chris De Koeijer (Gorefest).
Desolation Full-length, 1996 Official Site X-TINXION (HOLLAND)
Based on the "Twisting The Knife" demo, this is fairly cool bombastic speed/thrash metal which recalls quite a few heroes from the 80's: Paradox's "Heresy", Vio-lence, Forbidden, among others. The guitars acquire quite a technical edge on some parts, and combined with the mostly speedy riffs, make for a great headbanging fun. These guys are destined to reach far.
Twisting The Knife Demo, 2005 Official Site X-VISION (FRANCE)
Based on the debut full-length, this band pulls out heavy groovy post-thrash with a couple of sudden grinding outbursts and also sudden, but to a lesser effect, doom-laden ones. The music is dynamic and jumpy in the beginning, but later on loses the interesting moments, and settles down for one-dimensional repetitive riffs with a few reminders of Pantera's former glories ("Close Yourself").
[Confused] EP, 2002 Official Site X RAPTOR (BRAZIL)
A very good young power/thrash metal band; the style reminds of the Swedes Fifth Reason and Morgana Lefay, but the Brazilians' music is more thrashy and crunchy, and generally more complex. The singer does a marvellous job covering all ranges: low growls, mid-ranged powerful tones (the predominant style), and some high-pitched shrieks. The predominant riffage is quite heavy and pounding, like on the opening "The Black Mirror", but the inclusion of short, but stylish leads, dissipate slightly the dark character of the music which could be considered a flaw by some. Later on the album picks more aggression and speed, offering really impressive tracks: the great intense thrasher "Pay the Price"; the jumpy, more technical "Burning Hate", which is not too far from Nevermore at their best; the excellent dark progressive/technical "Simulacra Simulation". The pounding steam-roller sound from the opener returns for "Hidden Mask of Existence", but with more interesting guitars. "Businesschrist" is not too far from this pattern, but the cool melodic lines and the nice soft, progressive-laced break in the middle, make it a standout track. This is a really impressive debut from the Brazilian metal scene, where there are not many acts who play a similar kind of music right now.
God From The Machine Full-length, 2006 Official Site XANADOO (SINGAPORE)
Based on the 3-song "Blood and Dirt" demo, this band plays straight retro speed/thrash metal taken directly from the early Destruction works. This is cool fast-paced stuff with the obligatory rolling Destruction-like riffs, and the fierce uncompromising approach. No pauses for breaks, no unnecessary melodic deviations... thrash till death! And hey, guys, get rid of those awful computerized vocals on "Plague of Mankind", will you!
Dome Made Demo Demo, 2006 My Space XDECLARATIONX (UKRAINE)
These guys are typical representatives of the Swedish melo-death/thrash metal movement: think early Dark Tranquillity. The music is melodic and fast, apparently during the early stages, since later on the sound becomes slower with a shade of doom, and the faster sections are pure death metal. The singer is the staple vicious shrieker his rendings not so suitable for the doomy side.
Demos 2009-2009 Best Of Compilation, 2009 XENOFANES (SWEDEN)
This band is the first attempt of the guitarist Danne Sporrenstrand to play more aggressive music, before joining Hypnosia a few years later. Based on the Split he, along with his colleagues, sounds quite convincing, pulling out lengthy for the style death/thrash/black metal compositions with interesting stylish "decorations" ala early Therion and Nocturnus. "The Journey" is a nice semi-technical atmospheric death/thrasher, whereas "Deep Black Cold" is much more brutal leaving the more technical riffage far behind, lashing out with full force.
In the Shadow of Naked Trees Demo, 1995 XENOLITH OGER (JAPAN)
These guys are representatives of the more straight, less eclectic side of the Japanese thrash metal scene. The band's style is rough, not very appealing thrash, not very fast or aggressive either, which is highlighted by the stylish leads which sound almost surreal on the pounding monotonous background.
Cattle Brand Demo, 1989 XENOPHOBIA (SLOVENIA)
Based on the "Last Fragments Of Morbid Reality" demo, this band play aggressive thrash/death metal with crossover touches ("Impulse of Violence"), quite fast, with short, 1.5-2 min tracks. "Signs Of Mental Decay" is a nice little gem, maybe not as aggressive with better guitar work, offering fairly satisfying deviations from the path: the slow doomy "Money Over Mind", a riff-fest of the crushing heavy type; the frenetic technical "Addict To Chemicaly", with a great sinister keyboard background; the complex progressive "Caught In Eternity" which is a fabulous blend of doomy and hectic technical riffs, taking turns the whole time, topped by nice operatic female vocals. Even the closing "Signs Of Mental Decay" has a great genuine finishing technical passage, nicely opposing to the more brutal nature of the beginning.
Last Fragments Of Morbid Reality Demo, 1990 XENTRIX (UK)
The band who managed to bring the Bay Area thrash to the UK (along with Slammer); Metallica are an obvious influence on the band, but few are those who have done a better job impersonating the Americans. This is far from mere Metallica-worship as Xentrix's approach is not as technical, at least compared with the Americans' late 80's works, and their songs have the nice quality to stay in your head, either because of the catchy main riff or because of the memorable choruses, and you'd always be able to recognize them not without the help of the emotional characteristic semi-clean vocals of Chris Astley. "Kin" introduced more laid-back power metal as well as a few modern "borrowings" into the proceedings, and slowed down considerably, but the final result is still quite satisfying with longer, almost progressively-styled songs, and a generally heavier sound. "Scourge" is a departure from their basic style being modern 90's post-thrash similar to late-period Accuser and 90's Prong; it also introduced the new "throat" behind the mike Simon Gordon who replaced the departed Astley, and his gruffer less melodic style suited better the newly acquired musical approach. After the split-up the original members took a low profile, except Gordon who continued his career in other modern post-thrash acts, like City of God and Thousand Points of Hate.
Shattered Existence Full-length, 1989 Official Site XERATH (UK)
This new British formation specializes in interesting progressively-laced post-thrash which is rich in atmosphere the latter supported by a nice keyboard background, quiet piano-driven/orchestral interludes, angelic female vocals, and more. Still, the debut holds quite a few more intense surprises to whet the thrash metal fan's appetite: the edgy hectic mosher "Consequences"; the heavy steam-roller "Abiogenesis"; the technical Meshuggah-sque closer "Right to Exist". The guitar sound is mechanical and sterile, and the singer is a normal death metal semi-shouter.
I Full-length 2009 Official Site XERXES (SWITZERLAND)
The "Only a Dream..?" offers way more than just "a dream", being cool dark progressive power metal with both doomy and thrashy overtones. This is slow-ish moody stuff with sudden heavy riffy outbursts of the crushing dramatic type, which find enough space to develop since the songs are around the 7-8min mark. The singer is a cool clean mid-ranger which gives its emotional impact on the music without changing his pitch a lot. The guys released two full-lengths later in the 90's offering dreamy peaceful progressive rock ala Porcupine Tree and later-period Sieges Even.
Only a Dream..? Demo, 1991 XIBALBA (SLOVAKIA)
These Slovaks give a slightly more intriguing twist to the 90's post-thrash idea which moves away from the Black Album shadow with more intense proto-classic moments: the very cool heavy Defiance-sque technicaller "Repay Your Dept", which includes a great balladic lead-infused mid-section with the leads taking a nice Kirk Hammett-like shape. A total surprise would be the next "Reward From The Gods", which is smashing retro speed/thrash metal with fine technical riffage, a total no-brainer for fans of Paradox and Agent Steel. All is peace and quiet, though, on the short lead-only instrumental right after "Sunflower Fields", which shows again the lead guitarist in a very bright light. The pleasantries end here, unfortunately, the 2nd half containing a much more ordinary material, mild groovy stuff with a few more stylish decisions, with only "I Hate You/Yerba Buena" adding more fuel to the fire with a small portion of faster harder riffs. As a whole this effort is pretty uneven, the midlle being way superior to the rest, sounding as though the guys have suddenly entered a dimension of spontaneous creative genius for a while, before leaving it in the same abrupt unheralded way.
Grey Infinity Full-length, 1998 XIII (UK)
Based on the full-length, which is only 7 tracks long, this young British act offers a decent blend of a tad of classic and predominantly modern thrash metal with a moderate alternation between fast and slow moments on almost every song with "The Ballad Of Marv pt 1" a particularly cool mix of moshing speedy and softer balladic parts. The rest clings more towards the mid-tempo assisted by not bad semi-shouty vocals, and an overall guitar sound smelling NWOAHM (think God Forbid, above all).
The Last Stand EP, 2007 My Space XKIZOFRENIA (CHILE)
Based on the "Armonia Del Caos" demo, this talented Chilean trio pulls out exemplary technical/progressive, all-instrumental, thrash which begins with the excellent "Alkitran", a fabulous speedster with numerous clever hooks of the dark brooding type. "En Toma" is an abstract Coroner-esque composition, a compelling surreal journey into atmosphere, twisted technicality, and dreamy jazzy/balladic etudes. "Armonia Del Caos" is a dark pounder which suddenly switches onto fast aggressive death metal, before some of the most puzzling riffs of recent times settle in, the latter modelled after the "Mental Vortex" recipes, stirring your mind beyond repair for about 3-min. "El Progreso De La Destruccion" is a jumpy frantic composition, never leaving the mid-pace though, the clinical technical riffage wisely interrupted by some of the finest melodic Oriental leads around. "Tamalecho" is peaceful and balladic with a few impulsive faster sections, a pretty avantgarde off-beat number, with echoes of Canvas Solaris, followed by the final "Sonidos En Movimiento", which is also of the calmer variety with sharp guitars mixing with quiet balladic moments for about 8-min creating an escalating dramatism with spiral-like structures the latter topped by great lead guitar work again. This is so good that one may want to listen to it several times before grasping its complete brilliance, which in its turn will inspire him to dedicate several months/years of his/her life to track the full-lengths down.
Xkizofrenia Full-length, 2004 Official Site XKRUDE
Abrasive heavy modern thrash spiced with metalcore breaks and noisy industrial moments; the music is a bit cllumsy at times, with the groove taking opver more than now and then, especially on the longer tracks ("Transformando") which are not far from the doom/sludgy "exploits" of EyeHateGod and the likes.
Del Ultimo Dia Full-Length, 2010 XLR8 (USA)
The first 8 tracks are pure American power metal, not bad, but would be of little interest to the thrash metal fans. The next six numbers show the band moving towards thrash, still infused with a certain doze of power metal. The singer is a find with his powerful emotional voice sounding very similar to the mighty DIO (R.I.P.). The music is of the heavy mid-paced kind reminiscent of the Black Sabbath "Dehumanizer" album with punishing proto-groovy riffs.
Demo Demo, 1990 XTRUNK (FRANCE)
"Full Confession": members of several past, present (and, supposedly, future) French acts (Medusa, Kragens, Sideblast) have gotten together for the recording of this heavy crushing thrash/death metal affair. The guys mix intense groovy sections with faster Swedish-styled ones, and the music as a whole is quite dynamic with cool headbangers ("My Empire In Ruin", "Infectious Blood") among the predominant steam-rolling tracks. The singer is relatively angry, not far from Phil Anselmo, spiced with the gruffer death metal note.
Not In Vain Full-length, 2007 My Space XUDEF KLAS (SPAIN)
A fine thrash metal band, one of the better ones to come out of Spain; the first two albums are quite competent pieces of classic thrash metal of the fast, intense type along the lines of Forbidden's debut and Death Angel's "The Ultra Violence" with more melodic power metal tracks on "Eutanasia". "Expiración" acquires more technical and modern tendencies, but is another solid release (you might find it their finest hour, depending on the taste). It doesn't offer many headbanging moments; the tempo is mid-paced, occasionally descending to more quiet, balladic territories (the last two tracks: lengthy, but quite good ballads).
Igual De Claro Full-length, 1989 XXGEKIXX (JAPAN)
Based on the "Lesbian" demo, this act, consisting of only two members, plays vicious retro "lesbian" black/thrash metal akin to early Bathory with a very abrasive fuzzy guitar sound. The singer may be a woman, although she delivers the vocals in a rending semi-hysterical manner sometimes coming with a noisy synthesized blend. The music is predominantly fast with elements of punk and hardcore, but there is also one good display of melody: the nice orchestral interpretation of the "Moonlight Sonata", cool touch although the guitars completely disappear on this one replaced by a fast piano play.
Glow Scar In Silent Moon Demo, 2009 Official Site XYSTENZ (FRANCE)
Friendly punk-ish thrash/crossover in mid-pace with gruff semi-clean vocals; this is melodic simplistic stuff with catchy hooks and playful rhythms which occasionally manages to capture the sombre spirit of the 2nd Carnivore album on the darker moments ("Dead Alive").
Bullet wanted ... You got it Demo 2004 XYSTER (UK)
Evil, black-ish thrash akin to Bathory and early Onslaught; the similarities with Bathory are also in the vocal department, and more particularly in the ones Quorthon (R.I.P.) used on the two most thrashy Bathory releases later during the mid-90's ("Requiem" and "Octagon"). The music is quite brutal and fast, and delivers the goods most of the time. "Subnormal" is a nod to Slayer, and is arguably the best song on the album.
In Good Faith...? Full-length, 1989 Vibrations of Doom XZANTHUS (USA)
This is the first band of Henry Moreno, the drummer who later made a bigger impact on the metal scene with Imagika and Taunted. This 3-song demo is an excellent start for the man being thrash/speed metal with a certain technical edge recalling Have Mercy and Blessed Death.
Kurshi Full-length, 2004
The band's productivity is not the biggest in the world, and a 5-song EP comes out after a lengthy 5-year break. There will be no disappointed again since the guys don't betray their blitzkrieg style lashing fast and tight the whole time with Paradox's "Heresy" again being the main influence introducing the odd slower stomping break ("Genetic Sickness", "The New Hive"). The guitars adhere to quite cool memorable melodies more often this time, and the singer delivers with his switch from mid-ranged semi-clean to gruffer death metal-tinged vocals managing to come up with a couple of nice catchy choruses in a way again similar to Paradox.
Promo Demo, 2006
Act The Injured Innocent EP, 2010
Time of the New Slavery Full-length, 2004
So Close, So Far Full-length, 2007
The hellish trio is finally able to come up with an offical full-length, and few will be the disappointed to hear this sincere slab of unadulterated old school thrash metal which is constantly fast even touching hardcore/crossover at times. But, seriously, the speed is really commendable, and is not far from the Japanese Fastkill or the Dutch Expulsion. Hats down for the excellent tribute to the early German school "Republic of Drones", or for the maddening ultra-speedster/proto-deathster "Plague Of Mankind", as well as for almost every other song. The guitar sound is a bit thin, though, and could be boosted up for the future. And the singer could use a more aggressive, more forceful tone: his voice is also thin lacking the energy which the music has in abundance.
Mindless Purge Demo, 2007
Blood Is Dirt Demo, 2008
Southeast War Thrashing Split, 2008
Black. Death. Grind. Shit! Full-length, 2010
Promo Demo, 1996
Xenofanes/Cranial Dust Split, 1997
Cronology of Death Split, 1991
Signs Of Mental Decay EP, 1991
The guys stirred quite a controversy with the "Ghostbusters" EP which made the film makers angry for the use of the unauthorized cover art on the single, but not for the excellent jolly cover version of the main song from that same film. All the band members, except Astley, are still active having recently founded the melodic thrash metal combo Hellfighter with Gordon taking over the vocal duties once again.
Ghostbusters Single, 1990
For Whose Advantage Full-length, 1990
Dilute to Taste EP, 1991
Pure Thought EP, 1991
Kin Full-length, 1992
Scourge Full-length, 1996
"II" is more of the same, but again done with style, scoring high in the atmospheric/operatic department from the very beginning with the encompassing opener "Unite to Defy". Later on the aggression goes up the scale with the razor-sharp riffage on the crushing technicaller "Reform pt. III", but the following "The Call To Arms" shows a good sense of melody with cool stylish leads. "Machine Insurgency" is modern technical thrash at its best echoing the guys' compatriots Biomechanical with a colder Meshuggah-styled twist. "My Incited Armageddon" is a sudden unexpected turn to intense fast-paced technical thrash/death metal akin to Darkane, with a haunting orchestral outro. "Nuclear Self Eradiction" is the typical for the band stomping steam-roller with dramatic operatic digressions, a model followed by the remaining two songs including the 8.5-min progressive closer "The Glorious Death" which is a stylish blend of cutting heavy guitars and very atmospheric keyboard-ornated passages. The vocalist this time sounds higher with a black-ish pitch reminiscent of Jens Broman (Darkane). As a whole this act fits nicely into the more serious modern side of the genre pulling out both technical and atmospheric music managing to come up with a characteristic individual sound which sits somewhere between mid-period Fear Factory and Biomechanical without copying either.
II Full-length 2011
Unlucky For Some Full-length, 2009
Sinfonía Atípica Single, 2005
Psicofonia Full-length, 2005
Armonia Del Caos Demo, 2009
Full Confession Full-length, 2010
Eutanasia Full-length, 1992
Expiración Full-length, 1998
Blackening the Sky of the East Split, 2010
Lesbian Demo, 2010
Happy My Life Demo, 2010