ALBUM REVIEW: Yxxan – Misanthropic Impulse

Swedish bestial Black / Death Metal project YXXAN is back with her debut full length release after some scorching demos. Release is set for December 31st via Nuclear War Now Productions.

A cacophony of militant guitars and drums forge a basis for absolute annihilation from the very onset. Scornful vocals spew vomitous hatred upon crashing waves of malignant instrumentation for ultimate hostility to be unleashed in infinitely violence fashion. The immense groove and impactful delivery are fortified by rabid and raw production values as d=beats weave amongst blasting ferocity with seamless execution and palpable passion. Crazed and chaotic can be great, but lacking foundation and it drifts too close to grindcore territories. Thankfully that is not present here as savage Black / Death Metal remains the focus and we stay rooted in blasphemous extremity. Beginning as we mean to go on, ceaselessly inhospitable and feral, Yxxan’s debut starts off with stoically emboldened furore.

Purging all weakness, the sheer vitriol aimed at the church in this solo venture can be felt through each piece of frenzied sonic obliteration. Yxxan has an interesting blend of very early ideas from the likes of Blasphemy and Conqueror but also some more modern angles and something inherently punky about the delivery. Puritans might find this jarring, but personally I feel she ties it all together in a way that feels genuine and interesting. There is a bit more diversity than prior works, with some angular riffing and changes in drum pace to accompany the all-out barbarity. This ensures the half hour of unholy battery does not become tiresome or repetitive while remaining utterly unrelenting. Certainly a balance that feels like it is where it needs to be in terms of execution. A tapestry of total mayhem that is soaked in blood, bare witness if you can withstand the carnage.

“Misanthropic Impulse” is an animalistic and driven record of bestial Extreme Metal that is as violently exhilarating as I had hoped. Much in the vein of the demos, perhaps with a touch more groove and flare, this feels like another step in the right direction for Yxxan. While there is room for a bit more character to develop and uniqueness, there is very little I can flaw about this record as a savage opus of militant metallic warfare and I certainly recommend it to those lusting for a slice of sadistic sonic cruelty.