EP X'S FOR EYES // ARTIST X'S FOR EYES
The eyes have it on a deliciously twisted new self-titled outing from the Melbourne chaos metal project X'S FOR EYES that officially released today.
From riding the peak of the Aussie metal wave over a decade ago as the drummer for tech lords Five Star Prison Cell to, as of today, unveiling a brand new self-titled EP - one thing is abundantly clear when it comes to Melbourne artist Marc Whitworth and his creations: you can always bet on beautiful bedlam. And while Whitworth's previous musical journey saw him performing alongside an imposing array of national and international icons over the years, including The Dillinger Escape Plan, Karnivool and beyond; it's on his latest sonic endeavour, the self-titled EP for the project X'S FOR EYES, that a love for creating unique heavy music and desire to explore and feast on negativity collides in gripping, grimy and glorious fashion.
Drawing sonic references from the likes of John Zorn's Painkiller, Nine Inch Nails, Lingua Ignota and the experimental projects of Mike Patton, Whitworth's X'S FOR EYES modus operandi had already been previously established as the sort of heavy music you can truly sink your jaw into following the release of a four-track EP Expunge that released early last year. But it's on the brand new self-titled EP releasing today that Whitworth lures you even further into his bold and boisterous psyche via abrasive breaks, narcotic noise and plenty of industrial lashings throughout the six tracks lying in wait.
Kicking off with the barb wire-laden Godlike Spectators, the brawn and cascading mayhem is real as Whitworth serves up pummeling pandemonium amongst swinging beats, fuzzed-up soundscapes and caustic vocals. Soon after, Digital Intelligentsia scours with scathing arrangements, while The Inhuman Condition riots with relentless glee as it flits between overblown instrumentals and moments that quietly revel in slightly more dooming and glooming aesthetics.
Wires swings in next brandishing dynamic vocals sewn in amongst more electronic madcap textures before revealing its true final form: a dystopian zombie lurching through streets lined with droning grooves and industrial finesse. And just when you think you've heard every bit of potent arsenal lining Whitworth's sleeves, penultimate tune The Crab Song busts out a tumultuous and beautifully coercive cover of Faith No More's 1987 track, before closing number A Guide To Elevated Transcendence burrows into your brain with grating textures and jagged vocals.
For fans of genuine noise music, industrial vibes or metal that can't be tamed, X'S FOR EYES is a wild and engrossing ride that hurls you into its eerie and seemingly unsettling world from start to finish. But not only does Whitworth dexterously harness his significant razor-sharp instrumental and creative intensity on this latest endeavour; he entirely descends into a realm of staggering sonic exploration and experimentation, while also deftly taking those who dare to join him on a timely journey through themes of psychological warfare, nihilism and societal human address.
Whether you're a diehard fan of metal adjacent to industrial and noise overarching labels, or are perhaps just seeking a soundtrack to the near-apocalyptic times we are all currently living through: X'S FOR EYES is a scintillating blend of filth and fierce innovation from a truly engaging and established artist. And while you won't emerge unscathed or unchanged from the listening experience of this new EP - you'll be all the better for it. Embrace the exquisite chaos.
THE BRAND NEW SELF-TITLED EP FROM X'S FOR EYES IS OFFICIALLY OUT TODAY.
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BY TIANA SPETER