XIBALBA – Años En Infierno / VINYL LP

Xibalba, or The Place of Fear, is the underworld of Mayan mythology, home of the Mayan death gods who have dominion over human suffering. It’s no coincidence that Xibalba is also the name of the hardcore-influenced death metal thugs from Pomona, California, whose monumentally heavy sound crushes all around them. The group will release their fourth album and first in five years, Años En Infierno, via Southern Lord.

Listening to Xibalba’s sides of splits with World of Pain, Incendiary and Suburban Scum clarify the Pomona staple’s ownership of the phrase “None Heavier.” Elements of metallic hardcore, doom, and death metal push 2012’s Hasta La Muerte and 2015’s Tierra Y Libertad ahead of the crowd, capped off by the band’s reverence to its Prehispanic heritage. Xibalba has spent 13 years making nuanced refinements to its style. This fourth album stays the course, with a growing death metal component. Años En Infierno (Years In Hell) upholds Xibalba’s standard of unadulterated brutality, delivering an unmistakable brand of destructive metal.