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Xibalba - Tierra Y Libertad review




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Reviewer:
8.0

13 users:
7
Band: Xibalba
Album: Tierra Y Libertad
Release date: January 2015


01. Enemigo
02. Guerrilla
03. Invierno
04. Pausa
05. En Paz Descanse
06. Tierra Y Libertad
07. Si Dios Quiere
08. El Vacio

This is deathcore made by a band who did not forget what death metal is.

Technically speaking this should be deathcore, right? Because that's what I'm hearing: A great mix of death metal and hardcore. If that doesn't work for you guys then screw it? I'm calling them old school deathcore. It's almost oxymoronic that Xibalba (USA) is using old school death metal to give a new twist to the deathcore formula. I dare you to listen to "Guerilla" and tell me that opening mammoth-size riff doesn't belong in Morbid Angel's Domination. On the other hand, the vocals, attitude and several builds up and breakdowns just scream hardcore fury.

I discovered these guys with their sophomore album, Hasta La Muerte. Everything that intrigued me from their previous album is presented here in the same tight package (including the fact that both albums have drop-dead gorgeous artworks). The riffs are crushing and groovy while the vocals are throaty and couldn't sound more pissed off. The rhythmic backbone of this album is also well executed as the drums sound like cannons firing when the bass drums are hit with such anger. The production grants a sound that recalls the death metal vibe from the '90s but it's further down-tuned which makes the band sound heavier than all our moms put together. This has probably to do with the fact that Xibalba (USA) has been taken care of by Southern Lord. Both Greg Anderson and Taylor Young, from Sunn O))) and Nails respectively, have provided guidance towards an aggressive and pummeling sound that is slightly droning at times.

This influence can be clearly noticed when Xibalba (USA) decides to slow things down a notch and use proper layering to get a slightly doomy result that is quite melodic at times. A similar story goes for "El Vacio", the closer of monolithic 12 minutes. At this point the band has developed a density that matches many sludge bands. A melancholic vibe can even be felt after all the catharsis that came from the previous tracks. I'm not gonna pretend that this album is all original. It's visceral and to the point. This is music for the caveman we all have inside... But it's the way the traditional sounds are used that makes the little differences, providing extra flavor to this relentless album.

I'm not a spick, a nigger, a cracker
I am the pissed off human race
We are here to scream FUCK YOU!




Rating breakdown
Performance: 8
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 7
Production: 9





Written on 13.07.2015 by A lazy reviewer but he is so cute you'd forgive him for it.


Comments

Comments: 7   Visited by: 125 users
14.07.2015 - 01:00
Auntie Sahar
Drone Empress
Well this sounds tasty as all fuck. Gorgeous art indeed (done by the same person?), and the help from Anderson and Young just makes me want to check it out even more.... not to mention, I mean, they're named after the Mayan underworld man
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I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.

~ II. VII
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14.07.2015 - 01:12
Rating: 7
Ilham
Giant robot
*Resists temptation to be a genre asshole*

Yeah it's really a cool album. You've done it justice!
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14.07.2015 - 01:58
knightlightning

"I dare you to listen to "Guerilla" and tell me that opening mammoth-size riff doesn't belong in Morbid Angel's Domination"

Totally agree with you, that riff reminds me in someway the one in Where The Slime Live.

Nice review btw
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14.07.2015 - 07:49
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Thank you for the kind comments.

Written by Auntie Sahar on 14.07.2015 at 01:00
Gorgeous art indeed (done by the same person?), and the help from Anderson and Young just makes me want to check it out even more....

I can't confirm right now if it's the same artist who did both artworks but if I found out the name (or names). I'll definitely post them here. Che, you should totally give this shit a spin. I'm sure the guitar tune alone will be of your liking.

Written by Ilham on 14.07.2015 at 01:12
*Resists temptation to be a genre asshole*

For the record, I'm aware this ain't exactly deathcore. I was just playing with the name. I'm a simple man. I see boobs death and core, and it should be deathcore for me.

Written by knightlightning on 14.07.2015 at 01:58
Where The Slime Live.

Yeah! That's actually the exact riff I was talking about! Glad I'm not the only one who felt that. I can totally see people both from the old school and those who listen to more modern stuff liking this equally.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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14.07.2015 - 12:00
garmling
Account deleted
It's fat and heavy... not bad at all!
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14.07.2015 - 17:00
Uldreth

Haven't listened to this so I dunno how this sounds, but this kind of "old-school deathcore" is rare but not unheard-of. Malevolence's Reign Of Suffering is basically Pantera-induced deathcore (the term might be questionable there as well, but it gives a deathcore feel to me), and Dark Sermon's debut (reviewed by Ilham here) is, while definitely modern deathcore, has clean, but appropriately dark sounding production that always gave me OSDM vibes.

Not sure how applicable either band is to this one however.
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14.07.2015 - 17:59
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Uldreth on 14.07.2015 at 17:00

Haven't listened to this so I dunno how this sounds, but this kind of "old-school deathcore" is rare but not unheard-of. Malevolence's Reign Of Suffering is basically Pantera-induced deathcore (the term might be questionable there as well, but it gives a deathcore feel to me), and Dark Sermon's debut (reviewed by Ilham here) is, while definitely modern deathcore, has clean, but appropriately dark sounding production that always gave me OSDM vibes.
Not sure how applicable either band is to this one however.

Both bands are too clean sounding compared to Xibalba. Malevolence is groovy in the fun sense while Xibalba can be compared to Morbid Angel's Domination, as previously written. Xibalba is definitely heavier in my book and more attached to OLDM.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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