Review by JD on December 3, 2008.

I researched things behind this band's name, and came up with something interesting. Cyaegha is the name of a mythical beast of hell from what seems to be German folklore. It seems that this beast actually had a cult dedicated to it in a few villages until somewhere around the early 19th century. As I listen to the debut album while looking up the information of the name of the band... I can see why they picked the name. I wanna join the cult now!!

Hailing from the laid-back state Virginia, Cyaegha creeps out of that tranquil and picturesque area and ends up unleashing something that is far removed from that area. Mixing ear bisecting Death Metal with a generous attacking of malevolent Black Metal stylings... this band thunders out and unleashes themselves for the world like a tidal wave of guttural vocals and soaring guitar work.

Uncompromising as anything out there, they also show just how musically tight they truly are. Technically distinguished, Cyaegha show that extreme metal is way more than just a whole lot thrashing going on. I loved the melodies because they were catchy, yet so damned heavy as well, and the way they used influences from HP Lovecraft among other authors.... they have amazingly melded all of that together and have got one of the best metal bands I have came across.

Cyaegha is truly a band that has so much going for them in the intelligence department, not to mention the fire to play amazing music. Truly they are equally thinkers as well as heavy hitters... There is no substitute for either of those in metal. The fact that they possess both in great amounts... makes them so dangerous. So if you want to give your brain a workout, as well as your neck muscles... this is the band that fuels the need for both.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 8
Originality: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.8 out of 10

Review by JD on December 3, 2008.

I researched things behind this band's name, and came up with something interesting. Cyaegha is the name of a mythical beast of hell from what seems to be German folklore. It seems that this beast actually had a cult dedicated to it in a few villages until somewhere around the early 19th century. As I listen to the debut album while looking up the information of the name of the band... I can see why they picked the name. I wanna join the cult now!!

Hailing from the laid-back state Virginia, Cyaegha creeps out of that tranquil and picturesque area and ends up unleashing something that is far removed from that area. Mixing ear bisecting Death Metal with a generous attacking of malevolent Black Metal stylings... this band thunders out and unleashes themselves for the world like a tidal wave of guttural vocals and soaring guitar work.

Uncompromising as anything out there, they also show just how musically tight they truly are. Technically distinguished, Cyaegha show that extreme metal is way more than just a whole lot thrashing going on. I loved the melodies because they were catchy, yet so damned heavy as well, and the way they used influences from HP Lovecraft among other authors.... they have amazingly melded all of that together and have got one of the best metal bands I have came across.

Cyaegha is truly a band that has so much going for them in the intelligence department, not to mention the fire to play amazing music. Truly they are equally thinkers as well as heavy hitters... There is no substitute for either of those in metal. The fact that they possess both in great amounts... makes them so dangerous. So if you want to give your brain a workout, as well as your neck muscles... this is the band that fuels the need for both.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 8
Originality: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.8 out of 10

Review by JD on December 3, 2008.

I researched things behind this band's name, and came up with something interesting. Cyaegha is the name of a mythical beast of hell from what seems to be German folklore. It seems that this beast actually had a cult dedicated to it in a few villages until somewhere around the early 19th century. As I listen to the debut album while looking up the information of the name of the band... I can see why they picked the name. I wanna join the cult now!!

Hailing from the laid-back state Virginia, Cyaegha creeps out of that tranquil and picturesque area and ends up unleashing something that is far removed from that area. Mixing ear bisecting Death Metal with a generous attacking of malevolent Black Metal stylings... this band thunders out and unleashes themselves for the world like a tidal wave of guttural vocals and soaring guitar work.

Uncompromising as anything out there, they also show just how musically tight they truly are. Technically distinguished, Cyaegha show that extreme metal is way more than just a whole lot thrashing going on. I loved the melodies because they were catchy, yet so damned heavy as well, and the way they used influences from HP Lovecraft among other authors.... they have amazingly melded all of that together and have got one of the best metal bands I have came across.

Cyaegha is truly a band that has so much going for them in the intelligence department, not to mention the fire to play amazing music. Truly they are equally thinkers as well as heavy hitters... There is no substitute for either of those in metal. The fact that they possess both in great amounts... makes them so dangerous. So if you want to give your brain a workout, as well as your neck muscles... this is the band that fuels the need for both.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 8
Originality: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.8 out of 10

Review by Alex on March 30, 2020.

Pardon me for not being aware of Xpus earlier, and I can't blame anyone that may be unfortunate too, but you really can't keep track of them all especially in these modern times. Think Kommandant and Goatpenis bonded and merged into one compound, perhaps not the best example but somewhere along the lines. The end result, an intimidating, heavyweight type of death and black metal. "In Umbra Mortis Sedent" is the band's second full length record since 2015 with a demo prior to their debut, but now the band finds itself dusting-off the debris of its lengthy slumber and stretching its arms before carrying-on with their duties. Pick any song and it could be the highlight of "In Umbra Mortis Sedent"; full throttle, no-nonsense drumming, a discharge of fervent riffs and hulking vocals as though you got this guys order of pepperoni pizza wrong; mama mia! These gentlemen don't need a handout from any band/s; even though they appear derivative of a select few.

Seems bands are trying a bit harder and putting in the extra effort as a means to branch away from the fixed formula of death and black metal for some years now. And though it's a good step, not all are equipped with the musical skill to execute the move with little to no error. Xpus however, plays with nerves of steel mindset on "In Umbra Mortis Sedent", assuring the compositions structures don't fall-apart or more specifically overlap, ever mindful to keep a decent and interesting balance of both black and death metal. You get that following the intro 'Abyssus Abyssum Invocat' with songs like 'Into the Spheres of Madness', 'Blood Rite of the Liberation' and 'Of Purity Chastity and Temptation' while displaying functional equilibrium for some catchy technicality and segue between the two formats.

As an adjunct to the death and black metal showcase, doom metal has a prominent presence on "In Umbra Mortis Sedent" that begins to take command in peacocking fashion with 'Blood Rite of Liberation'. Used in support, yes, however it does not laze around, rather some initiative is taken to make the element memorable and vital to the music, rather than being a tack-on. Got to love the church-bells on 'Blood Rite of Liberation' and 'Broken is the Seal of Equilibrium' in conjunction with the loud power chords and drums, upping the album's baleful enamor in addition to the dominating phonations of frontman Aren. Though not used much, the church bells meet the desired effect convincingly enough to justify its immanence.

The list of derivatives/'influences don't end with Goatpenis, Wargoat comes to mind when listening to the like of 'Into the Spheres of Madness' and 'Righteous Hands of Molestation' that appear slightly idiosyncratic to 'Unapproachable Laws of the Abyss' in terms of song construct. Bringing me to the riffing and drumming on "In Umbra Mortis Sedent", you'd discover they sync rather nicely and under circumspect examination, the drums seem to replicate the guitar patterns note for note which is quite the feat if you consider how technical at times the music could appear. Even the vocalist chimes in sometimes as an aid to the synchronized technics of drummer Ulviros and guitarist Mornak, thereby giving the album a unified feel. With this brotherly and expert exhibition of a three-piece black/death metal band ongoing, In Umbra Mortis Sedent's outlook persists above the common and forgettable associations within the ambit.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Felix on June 12, 2019.

Dear fellows, I know it's a shame, here comes another candidate for the shittiest cover in the history of thrash metal. Guess it makes no sense to lose a single word about this so-called artwork. The title of the album also falls victim to stereotypes and so I am almost forced to concentrate on the musical content. But the next surprise is not long in coming, the output has a ridiculous playtime. I do not really know why this work is listed as a full-length, because the so-called album clocks in at 25 minutes. 

However, despite all these negative signs, one thing is for sure. The trio from California does not lack energy, passion or aggressiveness. Their compositions do not reflect the mature facet of thrash which is appreciated by Testament and comparable formations. A list in the booklet with the headline "Much Hate to the following “provides insight into the attitude of the band members. They mention "posers, emo kids and nu metal fags" as well as "people who think Metallica and Megadeth are gods" or "people who prefer Pantera over Razor" and so on... This indicates a good mentality and, even better, they are able to express this mindset in an adequate manner. Their stormy approach offers a dense and violent dose of juvenile thrash. I am sure that they are familiar with albums such as "Darkness Descends" or "The Force", even though they blame Onslaught, probably in view of the later outputs, as an emo band... Either way, a certain dose of stubbornness has never been a fault in character. And exactly this feature is the cause why the album sounds very monolithic, because the three-piece knows only one direction. One could blame them for a monotonous execution, but here we have to remind ourselves of the short running time. It is not easy to bore the listener as long as you come to an end in less than half an hour. Thus, the permanent full-force-approach can be noted on the credit side. Especially the "Reign in Blood" influenced solos contribute to the scorching overall impression.

I do not want to pick out single songs, because they all originate from the same womb. Either you like, or you hate them all, there is not much in between. The riffing is rather brute than sharp, the vocalist makes good use of his rather limited pitch, the drummer does a more than solid job and the bass guitar is consequently neglected. Indeed, there is more substance than I thought in view of the "highly original" song titles. The sound engineers also knew their trade. Evil in the Night scores with a compact and dense sound, although the bass is missing as mentioned above. In short, this output can give you a nice slap in the face without revolutionizing the glorious sub-genre. But I guess it's obvious and absolutely okay that the three tradition-conscious maniacs did not have the intention to add new stylistic ideas to thrash metal. It's just a feast of brutal old school thrash and it sounds good.

Rating: 7.9 out of 10