Review: Xerxes - Collision Blonde
By Christopher Reinbold, Contributor
[No Sleep; 2014]
Rating: 6.5/10
Key Tracks: “Chestnut Street,” “(But Here We Are)”
Xerxes has a blisteringly heavy and overbearing sound but have always rejected the “hardcore” label. The band considers hardcore formulaic and “trapped in the past,” never progressing. It’s easy to be baffled by this because Xerxes fit the modern hardcore sound perfectly. On its newest release Collision Blonde, the band shows it isn’t really the hardcore band many thought it was.
Right out of the gates, Xerxes demonstrates that they have grown up. “I Was Wrong” opens with a fade in of a near-chug among the full band. It isn’t heavy; the guitar is thin and relies on some controlled feedback. Throughout the album, the band members demonstrate how they have grown as artists. Early on, they display the influence they have taken from vintage death rock bands such as Rozz Williams’ Christian Death via eerie feedback and driving New Wave-inspired rhythm work.
Vocalist Calvin Philley has abandoned his larynx-shredding vocals to practice more restrained yells and even exhibits some spoken word passages in some songs. The band even takes from some industrial influence as well and display this best on “Use As Directed.”
“Chestnut Street” is one of the strongest cuts and proves to be the most pop-oriented song on the album. The song exudes a vibe very reminiscent of The Cure, except with a sense of heavier urgency. Philley yells words of emptiness and hopelessness, of “serenading in the dark to no one.”
The music reflects this through the use of the thin, shiver-inducing feedback with the delicate, phased-out guitar meandering as a melodic counterpoint to Philley’s words. Toward the end, the vocals lie back in the mix underneath the scratching phase of the guitar’s chords.
Even with the direction Xerxes took on Collision Blonde, they still manage to throw a curveball with “(But Here We Are).” The track opens with a snare drum, high-hat and kick combo providing the foundation to a chugging bass repetitious, effects-laden guitar line. Philley’s vocals join in, but are not shouted-- it is strictly spoken-word. Philley unleashes everything that has been on his mind or holding him back, propelled forward by lyrics that would make James Joyce crack a smile. The stream-of-consciousness style flows just like the Ohio River as it flows to Missouri, as Philley mentions.
Collision Blonde definitely shows a lot of musical maturity and that is only bolstered by the flawless production, courtesy of Evan Weiss, the brain behind Into It. Over It. (among countless other bands). This is the most diverse, modern, post-hardcore or screamo album outside of La Dispute’s discography. However, that does not mean the album is without shortcomings.
As much as the band grew outside of the hardcore mold, it falls victim to the lack of tonal variety. Xerxes rely on effects-laden guitars and simple workings of a New Wave-style rhythm section way too much. Some of the songs seem bland and rehashed, as the guitar remains phased and noodling for most of the album. Pursuing different sounds is a double-edged sword. Some of the songs build to nothing, never climaxing. This musical fizzle-out can leave you feeling a little underwhelmed at times. Collision Blonde has its ups-and-downs and showcases a band that does not want to rest on its laurels.
