XENTRIX — Scourge (review)

XENTRIX — Scourge album cover Album · 1996 · Thrash Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
Time Signature
Creed...

Genre: groove/thrash metal

"Scourge" is the last album from underrated British thrash metal band, and with its focus on groove and heaviness it is stylistically a far cry from their first albums "Shattered Existence" and "Whose Advantage" which are more technical thrash metal records. However, one must remember that between these is "Kin", where Xentrix took the tempo down a knot or two, so, "Scourge" is very much a natural step in Xentrix' musical evolution. It also very much reflects a band struggling to find a new musical identity in a time when metal was not in, and - ironically - it also reflects the general evolutionary curve that thrash metal took in the wake of Pantera's success with groove metal and the onslaught of alternative metal.

"Scourge" is one of the better attempts by a thrash band at making more groovy metal because, after all, they do not abandon their thrash metal roots altogether as evidenced by riffage in tracks like "Incite" and "Strength of Persuasion" as wel as "Never Be" and "The Hand that Feeds Itself" (my favorites of the album). I also like Xentrix' approach to heavy and groovy metal on this album. Rather than trying to just copy Pantera (although there are a lot of Pantera-rip-off-ish things on this album), Xentrix try to add their own touch and blend in alternative metal and classic metal elements in with the groove, which can be heard in a track like "Caught You Living" which contains groove, technical riffage and rap... all in one song.

The major weakness of the album is that its energy quickly wanes away and gives the impression of limping music which should have been played faster (and this is a problem that many of the thrash-cum-groove metal bands of the late 90s had). In other words, this is another one of those album which are best served a couple of tracks at the time, because the individual tracks are pretty good.

The production is crisp and clean, and the bass drums have that characteristic 90s click sound. I think that this rather polished production is fine, because it allows you to pick out all the details, which is something I appreciate. Moreover, the music on this album does not really have the raw energy to carry a raw production.

So, not a bad album at all, and one of the better thrash-cum-groove metal albums. But "Scourge" does not measure up to the quality of Xentrix' previous releases. It is also historically interesting in that it very much reflects the state of flux that metal music found itself in in the mid 90s.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Everything Hurts And I'm Dying Atmospheric Sludge Metal
NEGATIVE BLISS
Buy this album from MMA partners
L'impôt du sang Melodic Black Metal
CONIFÈRE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Pleroma Progressive Metal
ORGONE
Buy this album from MMA partners
n​ê​bam​Ω​ejn Atmospheric Black Metal
TRHÄ
Buy this album from MMA partners
∫um'ad​∂​ejja cavvaj Atmospheric Black Metal
TRHÄ
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Origin Of Infinity - Chronosphere (OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO)
ORIGIN OF INFINITY
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Kingdom of Heaven - “Pleasures of Pain”
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
Bosh66· 1 day ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Sanctuary [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 18 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Farewell [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 18 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Curtain of Death - [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 18 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed