XENTRIX — Shattered Existence (review)

XENTRIX — Shattered Existence album cover

Album · 1989 · Thrash Metal

4.5/5 · 2018-04-07
Vim Fuego

Xentrix were often called Metallica wannabes. Well, who wouldn’t want to be Metallica?!

It was a bit of a shallow and clueless comparison though. Yes, the Explorer guitar has featured throughout the band’s history, and both bands played thrash metal, but the similarities end there. Xentrix weren’t as heavy as Metallica, playing a far more melodic, less progressive style of thrash. The riffs weren’t as chunky, but then again, who’s riffs are? And vocalist Chris Astley was more tuneful and less aggressive than Hetfield. None of this is to say “Shattered Existence” isn’t still hard edged thrash. It’s not “Pink Bubbles Go Ape”.

The band’s socially aware lyrics were mostly intelligent and thoughtful, first track “No Compromise” being the exception. It’s one of those “have pride in yourself, don’t be ashamed of what you are” type songs. While the sentiment is noble, it’s just a bit clunky. The lines “Don't think what you parents might say/If it's too noisy, fast and loud/Just fuck 'em all, and do it anyway/Stand up and be proud” have always grated. The song is aimed at young metalheads who often copped abuse in the late 80s for their music and dress, because it was a far less tolerant time. Even so, this always seemed just a bit childish. No matter. “No Compromise” makes up for its limp lyrics by being a bit of a headbanger.

“Balance of Power” has one of those great thrash intros which bands don’t seem to manage these days. It bursts straight in with a powerful riff, which becomes the musical theme for the rest of the song. Xentrix knew the value of a powerful chorus too. Even on a first listen, the refrain “What you want ain't always good for you/It's just the way the balance swings for you/Balance swings for you” is thought provoking and compelling, and the simple, irresistible melody makes it stick.

And funnily enough, the band’s keen sense of melody and song structure lulls the listener into a false sense of security. Just when it seems they have hit a comfortable groove, down goes the accelerator, and Xentrix are thrashing with the best of them.

The lyrics throughout are excellent, not counting “No Compromise”. They are oblique enough for the listener to interpret their own way, but at the same time hint in the direction of where the song is actually coming from. “Back In The Real World” could be about hopeless dreamers the world over, or it could be about the music industry. Is “Crimes” about politics or self-doubt? The “Dark Enemy” is probably drug addiction, but it could also be depression. “Bad Blood” is about conflict, but is it an inner conflict, conflict between nations, interpersonal, political, a class conflict? “Position of Security” touches on living life too safe and not taking any risks and questions whether that is truly a life.

Religion comes in for some direct criticism though. “Reason for Destruction” targets religious war and deadly dogma. Even though the song was recorded in 1989, it remains chillingly relevant still. Final track “Heaven Cent” zeros in on how religion recruits the the innocent and feeble by playing on their fears and insecurities, while all the time bleeding them dry financially.

If possible, get the expanded version of this album, which has the “Ghostbusters” single tacked on the end. The movie theme song cover and the other two songs, “Nobody’s Perfect” an anti-drug song from the band’s days as Sweet Vengeance, and “Interrogate”, another older song, were all recorded in a single session for BBC radio one’s Friday Rock Show.

“Ghostbusters” became a big hit for the band, even though they ran into legal trouble with the parody artwork used initially. It was also a bit of an albatross around their neck, as anyone who has heard the “Dilute To Taste” EP knows (“We’re sick to focking death of ‘Ghostbusters!’”). “Nobody’s Perfect”, in particular shows how the band had evolved and matured. It sounds like a Testament/Exodus cast off with Adrian Edmondson going full Vim Fuego on the vocals. Wisely, this was left off the original release of the album.

Often overshadowed by its more mature but less engaging successor “For Whose Advantage?”, “Shattered Existence” demonstrates a lot of youthful enthusiasm, and showed the potential was there for greater things. That Xentrix didn’t achieve those greater things could be down to a number of factors, but the major factor is probably the changing musical climate. Thrash faded, death metal emerged, bands changed sounds, labels changed tack, discarding and refreshing their rosters, and Xentrix got caught right in the middle of it.

Luckily, we have “Shattered Existence” to show how fucking good this band actually was.

more than 2 years ago
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UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I have a written review of this one in backlog. I enjoy it, but not as much as you do. Probably has something to do with the fact that I only recently discovered them.