IXXI - 'Elect Darkness'

Despite atmospheric metal furrows, this one just might get on your nerves more than brainwashed “dittoheads” sucking up to Rush Limbaugh.

Normally this writer gives salute and salutation to bands of any genre attempting to push molds and forge their own vibes. Then again, heaping brackish glurg-glurg vocals overtop a competent band is the sign of gross misconduct as it is the sign of a band failing to embrace its inherent capacities it resorts to shock value in order to make a name in a genre where only the grisliest are awarded cred.

Granted, there is already a strong legion of fans supporting IXXI’s balderdash fermentation of black metal just because this group dares to do what they do fearlessly. Still, swept away of Totalscorn’s purposely obnoxious glubbing, Elect Darkness would be more effective with its suitably depressive distortion which occasionally bursts into clunky thrash modes ala Venom, as on “Southern Tribes” and “Enthusiasm.”.

Though not always on the dime, IXXI’s electric conduits Acerbus, Nattdal and Avsky are the group’s saving grace, not that grace appears to be much concern, the luxuriant guitar textures of “A Bitter Lesson” notwithstanding. Going back to Totalscorn, by no means is the art of black and death metal vocal projection a candles and flowers business, but in Totalscorn’s case, he literally sounds like someone burned out his esophagus then submerged it in tar, marking the event with a black rose and his microphone feed jacked higher than everyone else.

This pinpointed attempt to annoy belittles the impact of tunes such as “Beyond the Rupture,” “Western Plagues” and “Eastern Minions,” turning some exciting guitar riffage and pleasurable, searing solos into an unintentionally farcical cruise on the cheese boat. The fact Totalscorn and IXXI take no responsibility for such nonsensicality is going to make them heroes to some, rejects to others. Highly recommended for the deeply-plunged black metal cotillion; all else, well…