Xanima – “Prototype: Homo Sapiens” (2013)

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Label: Freeside Records

Review by Tony Cannella

Now for something just a little bit different. They are called Xanima and hail from Stockholm, Sweden. Previously they have already released an EP, a full length and now return with the follow-up to their debut full-length, “Prototype: Homo Sapiens”. What is their musical style? That’s a great question and the easy answer is to say that they encompass a wide spectrum of styles. They can be describe as progressive, art rock, theatrical, or theatrical, progressive, art rock, if you like.

If you’ve ever checked out Xanima’s YouTube videos you’ll see that the band has something to offer visually as well as musically. Lead vocalist Jade Ell almost presents herself sort of similarly to Peter Gabriel in his Genesis days and musically they have a sort of Kate Bush ambience. The songs have a dark, lyrical quality starting off with the mesmerizing “Mantra”. Songs like “Parallel Universe”, “Death by Remote Control”, “Make Gravity Rule Sanity” and “Ritual Dance” all have a strong avant-garde feel to them.

“Prototype: Homo Sapiens” is an interesting sophomore effort one that offers a nice change of pace from what I might listen too, in that sense Xanima is a real eye opener and a pleasant surprise. The bottom line is that there is no easy way to sum up Xanima, so I’ll just say it’s good music and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.

Rating – 85/100

 

Tracklist

  1. Mantra
  2. Prototype: Homo Sapiens
  3. Parallel Universe
  4. Death By Remote Control
  5. Make Gravity Rule Sanity
  6. Ritual Dance
  7. Ruins of Babel
  8. Origin
  9. A Given Oath
  10. Sacred Sacrifice
  11. Tales of Sin and Virtue
  12. Confession Chase

 

Line Up

  • Jade Ell – Vocals, Additional Piano, Glockenspiel, Accordion and Lyrics
  • Matte Norberg – Guitars
  • Pelle Händén – Keyboards & programs
  • Janne Hellman – Bass & Chapman stick
  • Fredrik Söderström – Drums & Percussions

 

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