Reader Submissions: Xpulsion: Hunted (2013)

Nic from Xpulsion contacted the first time a year or so ago to take a look at his band's stuff.  He contacted me again last May, unfortunately that was right before I went on a long hiatus.  So I want to start things off by apologizing about not getting to this sooner.

Anyway, here is Xpulsion with a two-track demo called Hunted.  Xpulsion has become significantly more brutal this time around, as clearly evidenced by the gore-soaked cover art.  Previously they sounded more like a combination of Exodus and Overkill, but this time around, there is much more sinister side, with influences from the more brutal-sounding thrash of the German trio of Kreator, Sodom, and Destruction.  The riffs are heavier and with a sharper edge, and the vocals are delivered in a blackened thrash metal snarl than the shouted vocals from earlier.

The second track, "Intent to Kill" is my favorite of the two.  The break towards the end where the vocals shift to a shouted style and then the thrash break definitely stand out.

I love this new development.  I have always been a fan of thrash metal, but the more brutal, evil styles are definitely my favorite.  Xpulsion has improved for the better.  I am looking forward to more.

Xpulsion Bandcamp.

Reader Submission: Xpulsion: War is Imminent EP

Well that was fast. Within a few days after reviewing their new song, Nicolas from Xpulsion contacted me again to inform me that they have finished up their EP. The first song is on there, so I won't rehash anything about it. But there are three new songs on this EP.

The songs are structured similarly, with the exception of the closing title track. The first three songs each start out slow with a bass or drum rhythm leading into fast and frenetic thrash riffing. This band definitely utilizes speed. Usually about halfway through the song, the vocals kick in, which are fairly typical shouted vocals, normal for thrash metal.

The title track is the standout here as it kicks into high gear right away and never lets up. It closes with the ominously spoken name of the song, ending the EP on an impressive note.

The musicians are all highly competent and the music is pretty good. However, it does not really offer anything new, so people who are not fans of thrash metal already really will not find anything to change their minds.

Reader Submission: Xpulsion: "Welcome to Yourself"

Just a quick one-off here. Nicolas MacDuffee from California thrashers Xpulsion contacted me to listen to their new song and review it. I don't normally do one song reviews, but I figured what the hell.

The song starts off with a slower bass riff, but immediately kicks into high gear after that. From that point on it is just pure unadulterated thrash. The song remains fast and furious for the rest of its run time.

The band has a bit more of a classic Exodus-meets-Overkill style. It's raw and a little bit light-hearted but nevertheless razor-sharp. Xpulsion knows their source material well and they do an admirable job with this track. Looking forward to the EP.

This is definitely an old-school styled thrash metal track, so if you don't care for that kind of thing, don't listen. It is well-documented that I am a thrash fan.