Black Metal came to conquer the world due an explosive remake done during many years in the underground. But renewed and refreshed, the genre showed a usual feature on the 90's: many bands shared musicians. It wasn't rare to see someone playing in two or three bands (for many of them didn't play too many live shows). And this is the case of the international effort called XEPER. They're coming with the band's fourth album, "Ad Numen Satanae".

The band's mastermind is the Italian guitarist Guh.lu (who played as live musician on Swedish killers of SETHERIAL, and is a live bassist of the Norwegian quintet GORGOROTH since 2012). This album presents a traditional form of Black Metal, but enriched by many somber details and aggressive arrangements, all done in a personal way. So it can be said that they use an excellent set of contrasts (especially in the vocals) and ambiences, but staying as near as they can from traditional ways of the genre. But things are even better due the presence of Mantus (from Brazilian masters of MYSTERIIS and PATRIA) and Blasphemer (former MAYHEM guitarist), and others, so let yourself be drown by their black talons.

"Ad Numen Satanae" was recorded, mixed and mastered by Nicola Gasparini and the band, and the work on the production was focused to create a sonority that could have the same traditional Black Metal approach, but in a way that could be understood by everyone. It sounds morbid and crude, but done wisely. And what amazing artwork from the Brazilian artist Marcelo Vasco (from PR2 Design) for the cover!

It's an album recorded for extreme Metal fans (and not only for Black Metal fans), and some moments as the excellent technical work heard on "The Hidden Genesis" (extremely good and charming guitar riffs), the seductive, darkened and dense ambience of "Riding the Spiral of Lilith" (amazing darkened and subjective melodies), the brutal approach of "Purity and Death" (very good work bass guitar and drums), and the Thrash/Black Metal influences heard on "Ad Numen Satanae" are the ones to win your hearts and souls for XEPER's cult.

"Ad Numen Satanae" is that kind of album that deserves a physical copy at home, and to be heard as loud as you can. And even with XEPER taking seven years since "Eleventh Omega Revelation", they came to explode your ears and conquer your soul.