Thoughts without pictures
Looks without seeing
Words without reason
Touch without feeling

-- Xentrix - Questions

 
XENTRIX - Shattered Existence
United Kingdom 1989

1. No Compromise 2. Balance Of Power 3. Crimes 4. Back In The Real World 5. Dark Enemy 6. Bad Blood 7. Reasons For Destruction 8. Position Of Security 9. Heaven Cent

Based on their recordings Xentrix represented the middle of the road in the British scene. Shattered Existence contains rather sharp sounding and well-played but ultimately quite uninspiring variants of a common theme, with obvious leanings towards the mainstream sound of major league bands like Metallica. Although speed is not exactly an issue here, some tracks exhibit a certain lack of intensity which can make this album appear sort of bland in comparison to many competitors' products. Musically this is by no means the most pointless effort, just a bit too ordinary and predictable to make the best possible impression.

 
XENTRIX - For Whose Advantage?
United Kingdom 1990

1. Questions 2. For Whose Advantage? 3. The Human Condition 4. False Ideals 5. The Bitter End 6. New Beginnings 7. Desperate Remedies 8. Kept In The Dark 9. Black Embrace 10. Running White Faced City Boy

The second full-length album from Xentrix brought some small technical improvements in the band's sound. The production of For Whose Advantage? is a tad heavier and more dynamic which in principle should give the result a slight advantage over the previous release. Most songs presented here don't sound that much different, though. Maybe the most noteworthy exception, Questions is a memorable opening track and clearly one of the better pieces on this album. As the whole recording is not nearly as powerful, you still cannot help falling into boredom during the most lackluster moments. While For Whose Advantage? maintains the familiar Xentrix style, it is hardly among the most spectacular works that this genre has to offer.

 
XYSTER - In Good Faith...?
United Kingdom 1989

1. Subnormal 2. Sentenced By Pilate 3. Genetic Deformity 4. Die On The Cross 5. Inquisition 6. Frozen Mind 7. Black Bible 8. Suicide 9. Massacre Of The Priests

Xyster's In Good Faith...? is an interesting representative of the darker side of British thrash metal. The album features a crunchy sound wall that greets the listener right at the beginning. The vocals are hardcore-ish barks of the most plain kind and often close to blunt talking, but together with gritty riffs the outcome sounds at least somewhat original even if the tone-deaf vocals may get rather tiresome after a while. Add some overwhelming drumming to the mix, and you should start to get the picture. Musically this release repeats minor variations of the theme, and you'll probably end up enjoying the uniform grim sound of the album more than any individual tracks that run consistently in the same vein as the manic opener Subnormal. All the same, with some nice riffage and energy throughout, In Good Faith...? can be quite a refreshing if not exactly uplifting experience.