XTAB – Brutality In My Hand

XTAB. I wonder what that name means. I'm aware that the tabs on my browser have X's, and when I press the X, the TAB closes. Anyway, XTAB is an Indonesian brutal death metal band, and their name is actually an acronym for “Extreme Tendencies Animosity Brutality”. Keep in mind that English is not their first language, so you'll have to forgive them for their confusing name. Last year, they released their sophomore full-length Brutality In My Hand, and I'm going to listen to it.

I'll just get the biggest problem out of the way: the production is too muffled. Of course, they're from Indonesia and they probably can't afford fancy recording equipment, so I can forgive them for that. Not only that, but this album can sound a bit bland at first, especially with those standard blasts on the first track, but if you stick with it, it gets good. It's one of those albums where you have to give it a chance to grow on you.

One thing I really like about this album is how prominent the bass is. It rumbles in the background and gives the music an extra dose of heaviness. Not only that, but there are also moments where it stands on its own and shows off a few great tricks. The drums are simple and straightforward. They dole out lots of blast beats while also throwing some bits of double bass as well as a few fills. I just wish the snare didn't sound so flat, but again, I chalk that up to the muffled production.

The growls are hoarse yet guttural, as though his mouth is full of offal. I wish his performance was stronger, but it's still a lot better than most other guttural growlers I've heard over the years. As for the guitars, they mainly play riffs that pay homage to the early pioneers of brutal death metal, namely Suffocation and Deeds of Flesh. It's pretty standard stuff. However, there are also times when the riffs have this strong infectious quality to them, such as on the third and fourth tracks.

Overall, this is a pretty decent album. It might not sound great at first, but if you give it a chance and listen to it all the way through, then you'll find some great moments. If they want to make something truly amazing, I suggest they get some better production and write some more infectious riffs as opposed to just focusing on the brutal aspect.