Xenotheory - Blissful Death

Angry Metal Guy

French deathcore troupe Xenotheory landed in 2022 with their Alien-themed beatdown-fest Dawn of an Eyeless Realm. While this launch didn’t quite put them on the map in a scene crowded with slam fiends and breakdown addicts, the artwork for their upcoming follow-up, Blissful Death, caught my eye. A divisive field for many, deathcore hits me hardest when it focuses on crushing riffs, stomping aggression, and creative use of a limited palette. Otherwise, my shields go up, unwilling to succumb to base, mind-numbing chugs and stuttering breakdowns. Can these xenomorph-obsessed slamcore brutes penetrate my bulkhead?

My immediate connect between Xenotheory and the greater deathcore scene is Within Destruction’s first three records. Roars that are a dead ringer for my beloved Rok Rupnik, heavily triggered (but satisfyingly bone-cracking) drums and subterranean downtuned guitar tones, and a penchant for slammy breakdowns permeate every moment of Blissful Death. Unlike those early Within Destruction records, however, there’s very little actual songwriting to be found here. This unfortunately puts Xenotheory in the same lifeless territory as deathcore colleagues Distant. Blissful Death is a massively bloated forty-five-minute beatdown of the world’s deadest horse. Chugs abound. Single-chord breakdowns pitted against industry standard slams litter the barren ground. Drums satisfy the bare minimum, keeping the pace as dictated by those aforementioned chugs. Otherwise, there’s little to no brain activity detected in this alien carcass.

Blissful Death by Xenotheory

I cannot overstate how accurately Blissful Death epitomizes the phrase “one-note.” From the opening scene setting of “Resurrection” to the monotonous trail of basic slams and forgettable caveman riffs that lead to the first new idea in twenty minutes, found in “What Lies Below,” Xenotheory attempt to beat my brains out with a relentless hammering against the cranium. Unfortunately, my skull cracks open to reveal absolute and total emptiness, as the record’s utter lack of creative or compelling songwriting left me without a cell to my name. This braindead assault to the senses is undoubtedly Xenotheory’s mission statement—the goal being summary pulpification of all audiences in a mindless, zombie-like stomp. However, it leaves very little for that audience to hold on to after it’s all over. Furthermore, the persistent presence of a Deathcore Standard Eerie Two-Tone Melody™ in just about every song steals whatever life Blissful Death may have possessed otherwise. More than that, it makes forty-five minutes of what is essentially one repeatedly recycled theme a deeply annoying, frustrating affair.

Occasionally, Xenotheory’s approach makes a minor impact; and in those moments, a glimmer of potential shines. “The Chasm,” “Ozymandias,” and “What Lies Below” provide a little burst of adrenaline with energetic, if extremely basic slams that are nonetheless immense fun in the moment. “The Fortieth Night” offers the record’s first instance of a blast beat instead of continuing the percussion’s trend of ghosting alongside the lead guitar’s rhythm. On a half-decent record, this would never stand on its own as a positive. However, Xenotheory’s approach to deathcore on this record is so monotonous that any development of character in their music earns a celebratory note. Amazingly, “The Fortieth Night” also develops some of those trademark background guitar melodies a bit more as well, hinting at some undiscovered ability to inspire interest in Xenotheory’s songwriting. Other elements of Blissful Death’s final act, such as the refreshing blackened char introduced in “Son of Man” and the closing “Le Dixieme Cercle” suite, allow me to barely scrape past the album’s finish line without having totally fallen asleep. Unfortunately, this notable step towards a redeeming quality comes far too late.

Blissful Death doesn’t qualify as a disappointment. It reaches beyond that. It demonstrates an undeniable familiarity and competence with the core material and aesthetic, then phones in the execution so lazily that it gives credence to every deathcore hater’s proclamation. Xenotheory have their work cut out for them going forward if they intend to stand out for a hard-won audience. Those who indiscriminately enjoy simple slams and bare breakdowns will love this, and I’m glad for that. But for me and all of those who ask for just a little more in their deathcore, ignorance of Blissful Death is bliss.

Rating: Bad
DR: 3 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self Release
Websites: xenotheory.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/xnth.slam/vVaw1Jestt7mIt-mCXqjZW-A2W
Releases Worldwide: December 6th, 2024

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