Just when you think you’ve seen what feels like all there is to see out of any given sound, you’re thrown one massive hell of a curveball. Such is how I felt tonight with death metal given how the avenues and paths of the style are so well-worn over the decades that a band that attempts to truly carve their own lane feels downright bewildering upon discovery, and I can never find myself turning away from such a sight. When I first stumbled upon just the sight of the name Qrixkuor, how was I to know what was in store? How could I have possibly known that what followed soon was otherworldly, unexpected death metal that left me more confused and fascinated since my discovery of Howls of Ebb?
Death metal that goes against the grain is already a spectacle that few are able to truly turn away from once it’s found for rarely can it be wholly likened to another act. When descriptors like “progressive” don’t even fit the bill for what’s at work, it leaves the mind wondering just how exactly such a thing came into existence in the first place, but instances of such are few and far between even as the underground finds itself more bountiful than ever when it comes to innovation and the daring necessary to continuously push the boundaries of the sound. Easily, Qrixkuor’s latest stands tall as a creation that more than qualifies as such. An EP that holds but one track to call its own with a shocking runtime of over twenty minutes, “Zoetrope” is far from what many would expect from death metal in any form whatsoever. This is the epitome of what it means to take the style to new, bold, and terrifying horizons for there’s a cosmic ethereal nature to this piece in a way that extremely few in the world of death metal are able to truly ascertain with there always being numerous moving parts in order to bring such an effort together competently, yet Qrixkuor throws it down like they’ve been pulling off such mastery for decades. Having only been releasing material for eight years, though, Qrixkuor’s second EP after last year’s full-length shows growth, prowess, and otherworldly intrigue the likes of which we simply don’t often see with “Zoetrope” that very definition of bewildering for all that it manages to brings to the table and delivers in spectacular fashion. As massive as it is horrific in an even more twisted version of a Lovecraft-like cosmos, Qrixkuor has more than earned the respect and attention of those touched by its madness.
Creations like this are of a caliber that I think many are constantly salivating for given how rare such presentations can be in their most magnificent forms with all the flavors and secrets found within the hearty course that is “Zoetrope” more than enough to not just grab the attention of those with such taste, but it’ll keep them coming back for more every single time. A lot has been accomplished in this single piece to instantly make Qrixkuor a name that demands to have an eye kept on in the future for I can’t help but feel that this is but the beginning of the chaos and insanity that the name is able to deliver.
LISTEN to “Zoetrope” on Bandcamp here.
LIKE Qrixkuor on Facebook here.
Head-Banger Reviews 