Xanther
8060
© 2007 Xanther (837101441667)
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Like David Byrne writing songs with Dimebag, Xanther will have you shamelessly wiggling your happy ass as you punch your neighbor in the face.
tracks
- 1 Done
- 2 Pull Up the Roots
- 3 Nothing
- 4 Ave Maria
- 5 The Ambition
- 6 Begging
- 7 Promises
- 8 Crash
- 9 Us
- 10 Jebus Party
- 11 Look At Me
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notes
For those shamefully unfamiliar, Xanther is the fruition of what began as one man's musical seed in 2001, in a style much akin to the vein of Nine Inch Nails, -producing two astoundingly clean, self-recorded albums, "Without, Within" and "The Charm of Contradiction", both of which are available only online.
Frontman Josh Goering, who has more middle names than we could shake a stick at, came to western Washington (the self-proclaimed music-mecca that has long since stagnated of its original worthiness of that title). He met a quartet of upstanding individuals and forged the 5-piece Xanther that many people came to love in 2004/5.
By 2006, differences and prudent trimming brought them to a hearty 3 piece that creates a solid, jazz-fueled wall of dynamic, intricate metal with 32 pieces of flare previously unexpected from a trio...a clear sign that they literally go above and beyond the conceivable limits of three men, and that they do it with the style, grace, and necessary rocket-power required to tear free of the constraints of the region's gravitation towards the same-old songs being played in the same old styles. I'm convinced they do it by doing what nobody seems willing to do these days. They study. They school themselves diligently and travel back to older traditions and reinvent them in today's streams, mostly unheard of in this area anymore.
December 11th '07 signaled the trio's entertainingly eclectic but driving debut with the album release, "8060", that is as serious as someone getting 86'ed, but not without a little of their personal sense of humor interjected before the end. This is one of those albums that clearly deserves pure respect, if not commands it with a surgeon's sledge hammer. "8060" also puts on plain-as-day-display the sheer level of near-limitless diversity in the trio's influences and talents as some of the region's hands-down, most talented young musicians(low-to-mid 20's). This fact also shows in their fanbase, which ranges from young to old, easy to hardcore and beyond. People just dig it, and well they should, because when these three are on stage, their youth is belied by the fact that they handle their act like seasoned veterans, -the class of act you don't often get unless dealing with professionals. This is no group of young amateurs, people.
That's the real treat in following a band like Xanther. It is in the ultra-tight live performance, and always has been. Frontman Josh Goering can actually sing,(you know, that art that's been forsaken by all but the cream of the crop), or dig down for that nitty gritty that heavy music naturally breeds, and he does it while playing some of the most intricate licks in the game, or while trading up and playing bass. Best of all, he makes it look easy. Their guitar-phenom, Jay Cox, is easily Josh's rival with smoking strings you literally WILL NOT hear anywhere else, and he has an attitude to match them. However, on stage there is no feeling of contention between the two. They balance together, trading back and forth so fluidly, that it is truly seamless and a night at the club watching them trade off delivering punishing blows to the crowd feels as natural as watching Mike Tyson biting ears off of other greats and breaking the faces of lesser foes. Duston, the younger Cox brother in the group, is by far one of the most solid drummers I've heard in a long time. Talk about a prodigal son? With a range of styles under his command that is virtually limitless, his name should be synonymous with prodigious. It certainly is synonymous with the all important factor of timing, because his timing is in one word, perfect. He is the reason you don't want be fooled by the youngest dog in a pack. His skills transcend drumming by no small margin, so its no surprise then that the two well-versed string-players have no challenge stopping on a dime (a Xanther favorite you'd know well, if you've ever seen them before). The duo almost have no choice because the machine functions so well. Its nice to see a drummer that does more than provide a simple beat or plays follow the leader. Sometimes, he's all over the place, and even...out of his throne.
Overall, if I had to pick, I would put my money on Xanther being the tightest, most impeccably timed, most diverse, AND clearly best-rehearsed band on stage on any given night with any other list of groups playing alongside. Not that its a competition. It just comes back to the matter of a powerful wall of dominating, melodious sound. We've all seen it countless times in countless venues throughout the region...-Where others play patty cake with the same old motions, cranking out the same old sounds and playing follow the leader, these guys are up there slinging flaming jugs of gasoline back in forth in an original juggling act that will have you shamelessly wiggling your happy ass as you punch your neighbor in the face... But, keeping with the good vibe they naturally produce, you'll gladly help your victim back to his feet and keep right on moving. The point is, they're one of the few bands that insist the quality of the music, hence, the quality of the listening experience, is the most important factor to not only successful creation but also to a clearly dedicated fanbase, which I'd have to admit are so adamant that they border on being almost as arrogant and obnoxious as the overwhelming 12th man found in the Seattle Seahawks fans. And that is a testament to their worth if I've ever seen one.
A final word:
Xanther's "8060"... Buy it? - Oh you better believe it.
Courtesy of Michael Ness
reviews
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author: BeckThis rocks! And the Bonus track is great as well *i laughed my ass off when it started playing because it's SO diffrent* BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT!