Album Review: Xenobiotic – Mordrake 7.8 (Deathcore)

Written by Carcassbomb

• Xenobiotic
• Mordrake
• Tech Deathcore
• Perth, Australia
• February 21st, 2020
• Unique Leader Records
• 7.8

Here’s the perfect storm of pre-release bait for me – it’s an Australian tech death release featuring the artwork of Mariousz Lewandowski (I know how we all feel but this one’s really good). Xenobitoic are a tech deathcore band from Australia’s new metal mecca, Perth. Mordrake releases on the 21st of February and features a couple of guests vocals that really make their tracks for me. Expect more of a scifi prog approach than a bunch of breakdowns – we’re telling a story here with an album of a higher brow. 

“Light That Burns The Sky” is the second track on the album and hits hard. The structure of this album seems to be about positioning its peaks around more subdued songwriting. It’s not constantly showboating on an instrumental level which is good, but it also doesn’t showboat enough and you might blank out a bit sometimes. Highlights are the vocals which have enough range that I was surprised to see only one vocalist listed. Lows and highs for days son, one of those “rapping death” vocalists who can pull a Corey Taylor clean whenever they want. I just wish the drums weren’t so overproduced. I want to hear that wet bassy kick sound with a bit more force. You know me though, I want every mix to be a sludge mix. I’m more of a dirty bum who dances to bass driven jigs while this album is a service car full of suits passing me by with disgust.

According to the band, this record is “more than just an arrangement of music. It is our darkest secrets, our worst fears and our most vivid nightmares. It is everything that casts a shadow over you and I.”. Now look at the art again. Oooh. I think Mr Sky Skele is like the voice in our head that torments us for our actions or perceptions, judgement from beneath our skin, the skull. The people INSIDE of the creature are these actions and perceptions, our repugnant organs. The creature is the body who must atone through flagellation, the altar of thy body – host to ritual sacrifice. That’s my take, feel free to have yours for dinner.   

Xenobiotic: Spotify / Facebook / Instagram / Metallum

Each track is clearly making use of the Unique Leader Records studio. Is the potential always fulfilled? Not always, but on the single tracks it sure as hell is. It’s very clear which tracks are going to be the crowd favorites. I predict “Saphris” will pound your heart and make for a memorable moment – particularly the clean delivery from guest vocalist Sam Dishington who has fingers in a lot of Aussie pots like vocals for the band Départe. Clean vocals entered the album halfway through which carried so much weight. I wish more bands would do this – no one said you can’t have dedicated cleans in deathcore, you just have to ration them… to a single track and a guy who does them really well. 

The entire rhythm section is pretty new but that doesn’t tend to matter too much with major label bands. These kinds of bands typically get plenty of time to synergise and hone their skills because it is their job now and not just a dream to chase while working at Coles. I’m sure they all have their own shit going, but I’m also sure they can get together and really practice hard. If you look at all the Australian bands putting out stuff on major labels right now it’s always hyper-modern sounds like Thy Art Is Murder, Disentomb, Psycroptic and Aversions Crown. We make the shit your kids love and these are the bands finding success within this country. It’s a demanding genre on a technical level so there’s far worse things that could be the status quo for us. 

It’s going to be a hit and there’s nothing you can do about it. For Australia pre orders click here.

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