Artist: Xulux
Country: Finland
Label: Self-Released
Formats: Digital EP
Year: 2024
A few months after the split with Kurjuus, Xulux returns with a new EP and further develops its brand of Finnish Black Metal. The band’s first EP was released back in 2022, but it seems that Xulux has found a bit more or at least renewed energy to revitalize the project. With that in mind, this new EP bears an appropriate name, ‘Ex Favilla Nos Resurgemus’ meaning ‘From Glowing Ashes Will We Rise’.
‘Ex Favilla Nos Resurgemus’ is not a mere mirror-image of the one-man band’s earlier output, but rather a logical development that finds elements from both Black Metal’s rawer nature and the more typical Finnish Black Metal sound. A thorough rough pummeling goes seemingly well with the more delicate way of riffing that we’ve got to know the Finnish scene for. Maybe a bit more grainy in nature, the guitars do play a major role in the overall spirit that the band conveys, placing Xulux in the same corner of bands like the previously mentioned Kurjuus. The bands do share an apparent love for nature-inspired roughness that was basically propelled into the world by bands such as Arckanum and Ildjarn.
But the melodies and the overall musicality of Xulux makes this project a completely different beast. It bears many resemblances with Norwegian Black Metal, especially Burzum’s second coming (‘Belus’ and ‘Fallen’) do pop up regularly. Listen to the second half of ‘New Age Upon Us’ for instance, the Burzum-esque guitar tone and bareboned way of composing is hard to miss.
To make the whole thing even more diverse, on the vocal department, Petri “P.J.” Jauhiainen delivers a quite modern approach to Black Metal vocals: oppressive, harsh, throaty and basically all over the place. Resulting in a performance that wouldn’t be out of place on the average W.T.C. Productions release.
While the musical offering on this almost-20-minute EP is rather diverse, it has been built upon several familiar cornerstones. That allows the music to be recognizable by many, but it needs a couple of spins to fully sink in. Yet, it is the Pagan-feel of ‘Ex Favilla Nos Resurgemus’ that gives the music a distinct sound that makes Xulux a band to keep an eye on for future releases.
