I didn't know what to expect from this promo CD. In one hand the Spanish-like title and on the other the folk cover with the Black-ish logo. And the Press release didn't help me much, since the only thing that it was talking about was the line-up changes and the releases of XERIÓN.

To cut a long story short, with too many demo and split releases alongside many lineup changes in order to write them all down, XERIÓN from Galicia, Spain came to life in 2001 as Nocturno's one man project. During those years they have released a half of a dozen splits and four demos, as a full band and as a one man project. Daga is the only member in Nocturno's side, that is in the band as a full or a session member from 2002 and forth. In 2007 they released their debut "Nocturnal Misantropia" and now, three years later, they are here with their second full length album.

"Badaladas Funerais No Esmorecer Da Lua" is only an intro and it gives you an idea of what to come. The sounds of bells, thunder, rain and the chants don't give you any other choice rather than to think that you are dealing with an album with folk elements, at least this is what I thought. The first minute of "O Espertar Do Xerión" is putting you smoothly to the album, since it starts with a nice bass line, then some simple guitar accords and then the drums. The Gaelic dialect that the lyrics spoken do sound awkward at first but after a while you realize that it is not that bad after all. The folk instruments from O Rei Celta No Exilio gives the music a Celtic touch which is a great, let's us say, intermission between the up tempo rhythms and the growls from Nocturno. Some of the riffing sticks in your mind, like in "Onde A Victoria Agarda" or "Morte Na Iauga". The Celtic part of the album is mostly seeing in compositions like the self titled "Cantares Das Loitas Esquecidas" with the melody from the acoustic guitar at the start and the chants and "Loitas Na Néboa" with the bagpipes and bodhran you can listen to.

In this album XERIÓN manage to nicely combine Black Metal with their tradition. The music is not something new, but the Galician language does make a difference. This album will definitely make the fans of folk/Black Metal satisfied.

P.S.: The promo CD came with a video for "Morte Na Iauga", but I couldn't find it anywhere in the Internet.