Nox - Ixaxaar

NOX - Ixaxaar (WICKED WORLD Rec - CD 2007)

In case you don’t know, Nox is Centurian. It's almost the same band, which was formed when some major line up changes occurred in Centurian after "Liber Zar Zax" was unleashed. Both Wim van der Valk and Jerry Brouwer have left, so Rob Oorthuis decided to change the band name and Nox was born! Interestingly, this album was recorded with Seth van de Loo and Patrick Boleij, also two ex Centurian members. But aside with this soap opera, it’s awesome that these changes never had negative impact on the music and Nox's debut album "Ixaxaar" is just as great as all Centurian works. 

Stylistically it's pretty much in the same vein, so if you worship that intense and insanely fast death metal from Centurian, then Nox and "Ixaxaar" are right up your street as well. Maybe not exactly the same, because there is a small difference in few aspects - but the general idea is the same. And the result is neckbreaking, fast as hell, vicious and incredibly intense satanic death metal. Intensity of this music is so huge that there's almost no time to take breath between all these cannonades of drums and violent, aggressive guitars. I suppose many will see such almost one-dimensional type of playing as something negative... Well, if the music is so powerful and relentless as "Ixaxaar" then I see no problem. But I guess that I would love to hear more such crushing fragments like the opening part of "Intoxicated with Death", which is the only real slow fragment of the whole album - and rather quickly it's gone and everything is back to normal with furious blasting. Riffage seems to sound quite more modern, I think, surprisingly I sometimes have a feeling like there were some similarities to death metal era Behemoth (opening riff for "Choronzonic Chaos Gods" for instance). But obviously bands such as Vital Remains, Morbid Angel, Angel Corpse did have a strong impact as well. 

Anyway, the music sounds fantastic, in my opinion. I love its sheer violence and brutality, that energy which bursts from every sound and satanic, vicious atmosphere of it. This music is savage! It's also quite technical, I think, but the intensity, fast tempo and technicality go in hand with good songwriting and some memorable parts, so it's nothing like useless, forgettable tech death metal crap. Basically, there's nothing what has been done wrong. I only don't get the idea for the “Ixaxaar” booklet, where everything is reversed (mirrored lyrics, etc) and the band photo cuts Nox's members heads. What is this concept about?! Never had time to think through about that deeply. 

Standout tracks: "Intoxicated with Death", “Blind Mad God” 

Verdict: 80/100