Style: Progressive death metal, technical death metal, death metal (harsh vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Cryptopsy, Gorod, Death, Atheist, Obscura
Country: United States (Connecticut)
Release date: 5 June 2026

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Xenosis (also known as zoonosis or xenozoonsis—also killer metal band names) refers to the process of transmitting infectious agents between species. Xenosis has resulted in some particulary severe infectious outbreaks, including Ebola (believed to originate from multiple species including fruit bats) and The Plague (caused by Yersinia pestis, transmitted to humans via mice fleas). I’m not here to revive the mind-numbing “discussion” of the coronavirus outbreak’s origin; Connecticut’s progressive and technical death metal outfit Xenosis have something a little more sinister in mind. Their wild and unpredictable brand of tech-death confers the infectious transmission of something grotesquely alien. In their fifth LP, Hermetic Transmutation, be prepared to experience the tormenting transformation of the human form into something other-worldly and beyond recognition.

Upon dissection, Xenosis’ core is composed of old-school death metal wrapped in tentacles of modern tech-death and tendrils of progressive death metal. An eerie unpredictability oozes throughout Hermetic Transmutation as off-kilter riffs incorporate elements of dissonance, jazz, and even moments of slam. Along with frequent tempo changes, the cumulative effect at times dizzies and overwhelms with densely packed layers of constantly evolving angular riffs. Guitarists Kenny Bullard and Keith Benway frequently harmonize, as riffs on “Sentient Shapes” and “Sea of Teeth” find the duo playing in parallel rather than mirroring each other. When Bullard and Benway converge in the breakdowns of “Prolapsed Twin Entombment” or the dissonant chugging of “Rapid Metamorphosis” their unified brutality feels tightly focused, making the physical impact of their performances all the more satisfying.

True stand-out moments come when Xenosis step beyond their oddly-timed death metal and into more unexpected and progressive territories. In “Rapid Metamorphosis”, Xenosis transition from a Meshuggah-esque section of winding, cleanly plucked guitar notes atop a massive, all-enveloping rhythmic pounding to a surprising flamenco-like acoustic passage. The clean bass-led ethereal passage of “Altar of the Hound” and well-placed bongo-thrumming acoustic interlude of “Engravings for Dyslexic Clairvoyants” add a compositional diversity to the tech-death onslaught. These softer elements temporarily dampen the listening fatigue from the constant slimy, harmonized riffs, creating a more palatable flow to Hermetic Transmutation. 

Certain choices in the mix of Hermetic Transmutation detract from the album’s ultimate impact. Guitar solos are sprinkled throughout, often hidden behind the surrounding instrumentation, at times coming across as whispers rather than standing front and center. Travers Kenney has some serious chops on the bass and summons up some slick baritone noodling, but largely remains buried under the guitars. While the previously mentioned softer passages do offer reprieves from the constant barrage of harmonized, pinch-harmonic-filled riffing, a tedium sets in towards the end of the album—a cumulative effect of half of Hermetic Transmutation’s dense tracks lasting over six minutes. Closer “No Longer Human”, though a perfectly named track to conclude the alien xenotic transformation, fails to consistently hold the listener’s attention after forty minutes of jam-packed extraterrestrial riffing. By tightening up the run time of individual tracks and album as a whole, Xenosis’ vile transformation would be all the more captivating. 

The auditory summoning of an otherworldly transformation is no small task. Xenosis’ instrumental virtuosity and knack for suturing together the off-kilter and unexpected are likely to infect, though the alien virus has its weaknesses. Structural flaws of excessive run time and questionable mix choices leave the pathogen susceptible to inactivation from the host’s immune system. For those susceptible to progressive tech-death viral inoculation, though, no known medication or therapy will spare you.

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Recommended tracks: Prolapsed Twin Entombment, Spore Whore, Rapid Metamorphosis
You may also like: Cryptic Shift, Faceless Burial, Mors Verum, The Scalar Process
Final verdict: 7/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Transcending Obscurity Records

Xenosis is:
– Sal Bova (vocals)
– Gary Marotta (drums)
– Kenny Bullard (guitar)
– Keith Benway (guitar)
– Travers Kenney (bass)