Style: Djent, Deathcore, Progressive Metal (Mixed Vocals)
Recommended for fans of: The Contortionist (first two albums), After the Burial, Born of Osiris, Vildhjarta‘s first album
Country: USA (Texas)
Release date: 06 March 2026

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Are you old? Don’t lie to me. Do you remember ranking your top five friends on MySpace? Do you remember when “FUCKING BOW DOWN” was the calling card of an entire scene of deathcore kids? If so: welcome kindred spirit, you’re in (somewhat) good company here at The Progressive Subway. Between arguing about Haken discography rankings for the twelfth time and sifting through the deluge of new releases, we can often be caught reminiscing about the “glory days” and favorite releases of whatever genre or scene our age-riddled minds happen to remember on any given day. Well, the handful of us in our thirties can, at least. 

I can almost guarantee that the members of Xurl are in their thirties as well. The Texas based quintet play a very specific style of djent/progressive deathcore hailing from the equally specific era of 2007-2013. The Emotion Directory is stuffed full of start-stop rhythmic djent riffs, chugging breakdowns pulled straight from The Contortionist’s Exoplanet, thall techniques clearly inspired by Vildhjarta’s Måsstaden, and constant blanketing synths that wrap the entire experience in a haze of nostalgic atmosphere. A clear, single primary point of reference cuts through the mist, though, in the form of a sometimes too on the nose Last Chance to Reason influence.

Now, for those of you who are still blessed with the vigor of youth, Last Chance to Reason were the short lived djent scene darlings of 2011 and 2012. Their temporary rise to fame was a result of their sophomore effort Level 2, which featured intricately rhythmic yet melodic djent riffing, and texturally and harmonically involved synth work, all of which Xurl employ in similar enough manner. What really skyrocketed Last Chance to Reason into the upper echelons of esteem, though, was then newcomer to the scene Michael Lessard’s vocal performance (currently of The Contortionist). Well, Xurl’s vocalist, Diego Franco, certainly seems to count himself among Lessard’s adoring fans of yore, opting to mimic almost entirely the style of Lessard’s Level 2 performance. From the flipping clean and harsh vocal styles to the effects applied to them; the vulnerable, airy timbre of the cleans and compact, light melody crafting; and even the similar technology themed lyrics, Franco shamelessly channels his inner Lessard to the point where hearing the performance as anything other than Level 2 worship becomes nigh-impossible. 

So what’s the problem? Lessard is popular for a reason, and I like him just as much as the next guy (especially on Level 2). Well, vocals aside, Xurl plays Last Chance to Reason worship through and through. While the style is actually performed strikingly faithfully, Xurl don’t quite achieve the same level of quality or cohesion, and seem to have trouble fully carving out their own unique voice in such a niche. Guitarists Martin Prieto and Chris Laing emulate the style of the 00s-10s djent scene quite well, utilizing syncopated 16th note rhythms, lead guitar arpeggios as a vehicle for delivering melody, palm muted chugging, and drawn out reverb-soaked tremolo lines for atmospheric and climactic effect. Unfortunately, everything feels hurriedly stitched together, with sections and techniques constantly interrupting each other, lacking both fluid transitions and a clear stylistic sense of self. Adam Casanova’s drum performance falls in the same ‘competent yet uninspired’ camp, usually just keeping time with quarter note cymbal hits while mirroring and accenting the guitar lines with double bass and snare. Synths constantly blanket the sound, though they are mostly restricted to textural application, usually just playing long held out pedal point tones. While there is nothing particularly wrong with the approaches listed above—again, they are all very in line with the style they so obviously draw inspiration from—putting them all together results in a homogeneity of sound that, as a whole, keeps The Emotion Directory feeling lesser than the sum of its parts.

Not all is lost, though. Plenty of interesting ideas arise moment to moment: Vildhjarta inspired thall techniques (“Devotion Protocol”); standout memorable melodic lines (“Erased Into Infinity”); fun, engaging rhythms during some of the bouncier breakdowns (“The Sensation of Being Extracted”); and Franco’s full timbred low growls which bring to mind the incredible Jonathan Carpenter (old The Contortionist). The Emotion Directory seemingly falls into rhythm with itself as its runtime goes on, the back half of the record full of quality ideas and more cohesion than the front half. While Xurl doesn’t exactly offer a novel or particularly enthralling experience, The Emotion Directory is worth checking out for fans of the djent scene for the nostalgia hit alone, especially those fans whose knees creak when they get up off the floor. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s 8PM and I need to take my medicine. Where did I put my glasses?

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Recommended tracks: Eclosion, The Sensation of Being Extracted, Erased Into Infinity
You may also like: Last Chance to Reason, Painted in Exile, Red Sease Fire, Omega Virus
Final verdict: 6/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Xurl is:
– Diego Franco (vocals)
– Martin Prieto (guitar)
– Chris Laing (guitar)
– Adam Casanova (drums)
– Ben Laing (bass)