review: Cell

Cell

Ancient Incantations Of Xarbos

October 4, 2019

Sound: This extreme metal album is in its vast majority a black metal sound, with some death metal guitar segments and vocals, and maybe a bit of other subgenres.

Production: The guitar sound is a bit of a fuzzed out black metal. The bass guitar seems to be the factor that is creating the bottom end fuzz. There is an effort to have the drums sound real, not have it too plasticky, although it does not sound like real, live drums. The recording sounds like a combination of homemade components, but it is a good production for a DIY recording.

Instrumentation: The guitar sometimes slows down for a little bit of a death metal feel, but prototypical black metal guitar is by far the most dominant style on display. Some tremolo picking, some thrashing, some blackthrashing, it’s all in there encouraging a mosh pit. This is not melodic, but some of the soloing does provide a bit of melodic sensibilities.

Vocals: The typical harsh black metal vocal style is central to the music.

Songs: It’s mostly headbanging metal music on here!

Lyrics: Obscurantism and mythology are the main topics of the lyrics.

Potential audience: Fans of traditional black metal would be the most logical customers.

Similar bands: This band is headbanging metal music for fans of black metal that leans more towards the old school.

Assessment: It is fast, blasting, thrashing black metal made perfectly for headbanging. This band won’t save the forest and this album does not tell you to join a political cause. If you like headbanging extreme metal, this is a good place to find it in the month of October. cellandvoid.bandcamp.com/album/ancient-incantations-of-xarbos