Xenomorph "Nihilistic Rustbelt Black Metal II (Demo)"

    As a fan of the Alien movie franchise as well as a fan of black metal, I never thought that the two worlds would ever cross paths. So when I received this promo for a black metal band called Xenomorph, I was instantly interested in hearing this band. Based out of Cincinnati, OH, Xenomorph is a one-man black metal act that definitely captures the malvotmnt spirit of raw old school 90’s black metal. The band’s demo, “Nihilistic Rustbelt Black Metal II,” is an utterly harsh offering that takes listeners into an abhorrent sounding world where evil lurks around every corner. 

    I must say that the artist behind Xenomorph is fully committed to recording vicious sounding black metal and has a very strong creative vision, which can be heard throughout this demo. The opening track, “Die Kraft Arbeit,” explodes with a vile sounding tone just like a chestburster breaking through human flesh. Right away I could tell that the guitar riffs were going for that barbaric of school black metal style which feverishly hammers away following along to the intense drum rhythms. As the instruments create a landscape of pure chaos, the vocals add an acidic venomous touch to the nightmarish arrangements. 

    The demo’s second track, “Punition Qui Fair Mal,” is another putrid black metal onslaught with more haunting riffs and deafening drum parts. You can definitely catch moments during the song where Xenomorph was influenced by bands such as Emperor, Gorgoroth and Mayhem. Actually, the way that the drums were recorded along with the grim overall atmosphere, I could hear a lot of early Emperor influence, particularly from the “Wrath of the Tyrant” demo. On the third track, “Broken Paradigm of Worth,” I was mainly impressed by the drumming and how the riffs following along to the horrendous sounding rhythms. 

    Even though this style of extreme metal is nothing new and I have heard countless bands pay homage to the old school back metal blueprint, I really liked the execution and compositions on this demo, which made me want to keep listening. Also, the cover Xenomorph did of Gorgoroth’s, “Possessed,” sounded really solid and was a perfect choice since Xenomorph’s sound reminded me a bit of Gorgoroth at times.

    If you are looking for some raw straightforward old school black metal, then you should make sure to check out Xenomorph’s, “Nihilistic Rustbelt Black Metal II.” I have always had respect one-man bands as it takes a lot of dedication to create releases, especially when there is one person handling all the work. For a demo, this does a tremendous job getting people to check out the band and also will give people something to look forward to if they are into this style of black metal. Trust me, compared to what they have done with the Alien movie franchise as of late, this demo will not disappoint and make you feel like you’ve wasted your time. 

Check out the demo below: 

Xenomorph Bandcamp: 

https://xenomorph8472.bandcamp.com/album/nihilistic-rustbelt-black-metal-ii-demo