Band: XEPER
Country: Italy
Title: Ad Numen Satanae
Label: Soulseller Records
Year: 2021
Style: Black Metal
Review:
After 7 years of work, 4 of them being dedicated to the actual recording, mixing and mastering of this material, Xeper's 4th studio album, Ad Numen Satanae, is out now featuring 7 tracks and clocking a bit over half an hour of playing time. Weird enough in the album booklet only two members are listed, namely the guitarist and founding member Guh.lu, and the bassist Alekht, with former drummer Maelstrom being mentioned as guest vocalist (?!) among other guests (Blasphemer of Mayhem fame being one of them), so I'm not sure what actually went on within the ranks of the band, nor if the band is currently a duo or else. Anyway, the music on this new album can be placed in the same the blasphemous, satanic, mystical direction the band used their fans with so far, so nothing surprising, but the music on it is absolutely top-notch. We're being bombarded with intense and ferocious traditional Black Metal passages lead by venomous vocals, built on a precise rhythm section, but also delivering some excellent, catchy and memorable guitar riffs that are like the main feature of Xeper's music. There are also plenty of mid-tempo and slower passages to enhance the heaviness of this record, basically there's a bit of everything, and not because of Blasphemer's apparition on one of the tracks, but the whole reminds a bit of Mayhem's glorious Grand Declaration of War without even remotely being a copycat. It's recommended you dive into the lyrics, too, while playing the album, they will paint a truly expressive image that goes hand in hand with the excellent cover art. All in all this is a fabulous Black Metal album, not one that will break any boundaries or push the genre in other dimensions, but one that has the atmosphere and story it creates as the main attraction.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 9/10