Xoth captured lightning in a bottle with their 2019 album Interdimensional Invocations. The combination of sick riffs and sheer fun made songs such as “Mountain Machines” infinite amounts of joy to listen to. The year is now 2023, and in the year of the purple castle, Xoth have erected one of their own in Exogalactic. Melodic Death Metal hasn’t had the greatest year, with the majority of albums released in the style being in fact undercover Metalcore. Expectations for Xoth’s new album to be anywhere near as fun as its predecessor are sky-high, and I’m pleased to say that while it may not be as instantly fun as Interdimensional Invocations, Exogalactic is still one hell of a whimsical cosmic banger.
Starting off in a similar manner to its predecessor, Exogalactic wastes no time in shredding your face off with slick, catchy riffs. The first three tracks are all varying levels of fun, with “Manuscripts of Madness” being an almost callback to “Mountain Machines”. Guitarist/vocalist duo Tyler Splurgis and Woody Adler are on their A-game all throughout the album. Other songs, such as “Reflective Nemesis” are equally catchy as the first three songs, and this one in particular may one day become my favorite Xoth jam. The classic playfulness that defines this band’s sound is omnipresent as ever, and the leads on this album make the “Melotech” style of Technical Melodic Death Metal feel more catchy than wank-driven. Another highlight is the production. Xoth chose to push out an updated master before release, which helped round out sound and produce their crispest album to date. In particular, the drums are evermore satisfying as a result, and it’s a treat to the ears. There’s not really a low point on this album, as no song ever overstays its welcome, and the end result is one of the most outright fun albums I’ve heard all year. If more Melodic Death Metal bands played in a fashion similar to Xoth, I might find more reasons to come back to the genre. Perhaps one day this record will surpass Interdimensional Invocations, but for now I’m comfortable slotting it at around the same level of enjoyment.
