Siaskel "Xo'on Hauk Sho'on" CD

Comes with silver pantone prints and 8 page booklet limited 300 copies

Having been formed in 2003 Siaskel are an outfit hailing from Santiago/Chile. After two full lengths in 2014 and 2016 they have followed up with album number three titled “Xo'on Hauk Sho'on” presented by German label Schattenkult Produktionen. I have no clue what that could mean – however, what I can say for sure is that this one devastating piece of crushing and captivating metal.
What you will find here is a devastating mixture of furious black metal tremolo lines and stomping death riffs with a few crawling doom passages thrown in for good measure. This record is a beast and the level of professionalism and energy shown here is outstanding. Each song has trademark chords that are hitting hard and that are presented with just enough variation to keep things fresh enough over the whole playing time. The star of the show might be the lead guitar work which is phenomenal in places with harmonies ranging from melancholic and hypnotic to epic and uplifting. I am always impressed when guitar playing is able to create a certain mood and pitched against the hefty and crunchy basis riffs this effect comes into full force here.
Beside the spectacular guitar work also the rhythm section has to be mentioned. The drumming is absolutely precise following the main patterns of each song and highlighting several sections where an extra portion of intensity is needed. “Xo'on Hauk Sho'on” is not so much an album for showing off any instrumental wankery (although there are enough brutal blast-beat sections) but presenting a stringent piece of music dragging the listener into a dark and melancholic world. The soundscape created by the themes in the background is very sinister and works as basement for the riffing and the hard hitting grooves.
While the instrumentation is top notch there are no too flashy or overly technical sections just for the sake of it. From the first note onwards it is pretty obvious that the intention of Siaskel has been to take some of the best pieces of the genre and put them back together while adding their own ideas. There is nothing really groundbreaking here but the music is just so powerful and captivating that I really do not care about that. The songwriting is on point although each of the four titles is around ten minutes. The tracks flow into each other in nice fashion making the 39 minutes go by without noticing.
The production is powerful without sounding too modern or sterile. There is a certain level of rawness and filthiness left without sacrificing the clarity of the mix. Each instrument can be heard and even the bass gets a few moments to shine. Rounded off by a nice looking cover artwork is any easy recommendation for any fans of the genre.

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