Emotive Dark Rock
Although many of you may never have heard of 9XDead, this very professional outfit have existed around ten years now and whilst there have been the odd member change, and even name changes, the length of time in which this Welsh band have performed together shines through in the tightness of the performance on the album Cursed. The album is one of those 'growers', the more you listen, the more you appreciate some of the musicianship and emotion laid out in some of the tracks before it climaxes in the epic Serenity, but more on that later.
The album opener Diablo is one of the high points on the album and really sets the tone as the band successfully create a dark and haunted vibe which is consistent throughout the album. There is a decent sound mix which works well as you are able to prominently hear the almost demonic bass trudging through each track, which gives it a really special feel. A big mention should also be given to the very good guitar work throughout this album, especially in tracks like The Patriarch, in which the chilling solo makes an already good track great. The band are also able to show a more up-tempo side, as Parental Guidance has a great energetic punk feel to it whilst still staying true to their emotive dark subject matter.
Perhaps my only real negative point would be that to a certain extent the excitement built up after listening to the first few tracks begins to wane a bit during the latter part of the album. It is perhaps wrong to suggest the album 'drags' but it struggles a bit to hold your attention, with tracks starting to sound a bit too much of the same.
That is until the final track, Serenity, which is almost certainly the best on the album. The addition of piano helps amplify the haunting, dark and emotive sound 9XDead are trying to achieve, with an absolutely fantastic solo to boot. If there is more of this in the future it is potentially very exciting, the band should not be afraid to be a bit more complex if this is the result. Whilst not outstanding or groundbreaking, Cursed is a good solid hard rock album and with very favourable live reports to back them up also, 9XDead is a band to look out for.