XENO „Sojourn”

Art Gates Records, 2020

Music: Contemporary Prog Metal
Website:
https://www.facebook.com/xenoband/
https://www.instagram.com/xenoband/
https://www.xenometal.com
Duration: 66:09 (11 tracks)
Country: Netherlands

XENO was founded in 2011 in Middelburg, the capital of the Dutch province of Zealand. They previously released one album in 2016, highly rated by critics, and three singles. Before 2011, they acted as SAMIAZAS, but under this name they only made one demo. The Dutch take their inspirations from PERIPHERY, TESSERACT, OPETH, PLINI, PORCUPINE TREE, LAMB OF GOD. They give concerts a lot, shared the stage incl. with VOIVOD, SPOIL ENGINE, CARACH ANGREN.

The latest work of XENO “Sojourn” is a large dose of ambitious metal with a high level of composition and performance. The music is varied, we can find here various styles that go one into another: climatic rock, progressive rock, progressive metal, extreme metal, aggressive black metal. There are also heavy and lofty fragments, even like pop-rock.

Despite such a dispersion, the work of the Dutch cannot be called schizophrenic, everything is well-organized and balanced. They all play very technically, with a great saturation of the music with difficult parts and themes. Even extreme motifs are not only with violence, there is a lot going on in them. There are many nuances and flavors in the tracks.

The musicians are great at performing very different types of playing. This also applies to both singers. They often sing at the same time like talking to each other. Interesting is the abundant, prominent use of the bass, it is very important on the “Sojourn”. It’s not hidden somewhere in the background as usually happens. Particular tracks are often long, complex, each of them creates a story.

The entire long album is a musical journey. The album is dominated by sadness, reflection, pessimism, and anger – resulting from getting to know the negative sides of life. The sounds on the disc are not bizarre. They refer to the classic canons of prog-rock, prog-metal and brutal music – but they are not trivial.

The music is fresh, addictive, and intriguing. XENO plays his own music and does it professionally, with talent. I praise the band’s music!

Tracklist:
1.Revery
2.In Stasis
3.Dusk
4.Epiphany
5.Exile
6.Nomad
7.Memories
8.Closure
9.Resurge
10.Uncaged
11.Sojourn

Line-up:
Ruben Willemsen – vocal, bass
Edwin Haan – vocal, guitars
Daniel de Coninck – guitars
Sean Lubbersen – keyboards
Jasper Bruggeman – guitars
Lars van Mourik – drums

Rate: 9.5/10