Xatatax – “Demo 2014”
For the millions, or tens, of you who read my reviews, you know that I frequently look up the definition of the band’s name and how it relates to them and their music.
This week’s band is Xatatax, which I still have no idea how to pronounce, and I assumed it was a made up word. Still, I checked Google and I was surprised it had a definition. Then was surprised again.
Xatatax, 1) one who gapes asses, 2) the dynamics of expanding the rectum, either of one’s self or others and/or other species!!!!
Example: Little Jimmy found a latent talent in xatataxing. “Hey, man, you Xatatax too? A Belgian chocolatier once referred to him in homosexual song as a filthy xatatax.
I didn’t make any of this up.
Look it up yourself, it’s in the urban dictionary.
I had to gape when I read this.
Gape, 1) stare with one’s mouth open wide, typically in amazement or wonder.
I don’t know…what to add to this.
All I know is I tried to write about a metal band and now the “Women Against Mens Naughty Parts” are protesting outside our offices and I’m going into my office, bent over with a mirror held up to my backside.
Now that we have all that cleared up.
Xatatax is a metal band that uses the tags, “metal, crust, punk, d-beat, doom, sludge” on their bandcamp which is all good, as the kids like to say, but to me they’re a band that switches from doom to thrash, usually in the same song, and is one of these new bands I’ve been taking a liking to.
And like the other bands, they dismiss the usual bullshit, self-indulgent tendencies of metal bands- long solos, elaborate arrangements, long songs and replace it with something more hard, sharp, brutal and strong.
You still don’t believe I didn’t make up the first part, everything but the ladies marching, I swear is true. And what I say about the band is also. So let’s listen and you’ll see.
“Isaiah 14:14” starts with subdued, impending doom until the guitar lick comes in and all warnings are registered as certain. We are in a heavy, overcast of gloom until the guitars along with the drums start laying down a headbanger beat that is only interrupted by a dissonant movie theme guitar. Then suddenly, we’re thrust into a rushing hardcore rhythm. “Where there is everything/ I am nothing/ And where there is nothing else/ I reign supreme.” An obvious reference to Diana Ross’s band. The music changes from hardcore oblivion to venomous doom metal with thrash/core interludes. “All evil that I know/ Darkness is made by mine own hand/ I enslave, I command, worship me, for I Am Man.” This ends with a scream into a hollow corridor. This end as a song that is strong, intense and great.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/01 Isaiah 14 14.mp3|titles=Isaiah 14:14]“Audrey Hepburnvictim” starts with some descending notes repeated that are eventually answered with some harmonic notes of the same. A hysterical, black metal vocal is met by a charging drum beat, one hit to the beat, walloping our sorry asses forward. “A light to the dark/ Destruction at their weakest point/ Drop the death charge/ Cut out their legs and with the blood upon their heads anoint.” New medical procedures, indeed! A breakdown part leads to a the black metal voice supported by some doom metal. “I’ll survive with my mind/ Even if my body dies.” Even if the mind is wasted it came with a money back guarantee! This is a great, smash, thrash tune.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/04 Audrey Hepburnvictim.mp3|titles=Audrey Hepburnvictim]“Hollow Prophet” starts with some heavy, plodding guitars and drum beats with some rolls and flourishes that resemble a wounded oxen trudging over muddy fields. Some sinister guitar peaks around dark corners as ominous, low death vocals bleat. Soon though we escape into a thrash/ hardcore part and the vocals switch to black though joined with the death ones as well. A doom-y guitar passage follows, the drums answering with effective rolls. “Nothing is sacred/Won’t submit to the whip/ Won’t lay down where you trod/ I’d rather live my life as nothing/ Than worship a corpse God.” I’d rather cut my nose off than go without this awesome song.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/02 Hollow Prophet.mp3|titles=Hollow Prophet]“Fall Of Midgard” starts right off at a hundred miles per hour in a thrashing, slashing beat with strangled vocals in the black metal vein. “I am a temple of hate/ The reigns of my rage growing stronger/ There is no end to all of the pain…To burn all the souls in the flame of revenge.” Oh, boy!- tell us how you really feel! This song thrashes and crashes taking dangerous corners with a dissonant chord change here, a grinding, high guitar solo there. A doom-y part with the death vocals makes an appearance but the thrash beat will not be restrained. We go thrashin’ back to the first part complete with the evil guitar lick that ends on a note of despair. But no sadness on my part as I’m glad to hear such a great song.
[audio:https://www.thrashnbang.com/wp-content/music/03 Fall of Midgard.mp3|titles=Fall of Midgard]So Xatatax- are they the music to gape asses by or just favored by Belgian chocolatiers?
I believe the have a sense of humor. I sure hope so, what with this review.
The music: it has the crashing, adrenalin run of your best hardcore/ thrash, it has the intense oblivion of your best doom metal, it has the hysterical plea of black vocals matched with the anguished defeat of death vocals, too.
Me, I think it’s kind of snappy and I can dance to it so I give it a big thumbs up. This is metal music of our times- this is raw, brutal, decisive, headbanging and brief.
This is Xatatx and I still don’t how to pronounce it but I sure know how it sounds.
And you should, too.
(Slimedog)
