XIBALBA - Ancients LP

"While NWN! has immense respect for and was highly influenced by much of the Black Metal output of the 1990’s, very little of it still retains as much of its original allure as that created by Mexico’s earliest masters, Xibalba. Those who are familiar with their only album, “Ah Dzam Poop Ek”, originally released by the infamous Guttural Records in 1994, already know what to expect. This is Black Metal distilled to its most primitive essence. “Ancients” features the 1992 “In Lucescitae Tristis Hiei” demo as well as a rehearsal recording from 1994. While drawing their musical inspiration from the same sources as the Norwegian Black Metal pioneers of the early 1990’s (Bathory, Hellhammer, Sodom, etc.), Xibalba turned toward the ancient traditional Mayan culture for guidance in their rejection of the Catholic plague infesting Mexico. The result is Raw Black Metal perfection similar in some ways to their contemporaries, but still distinctively Xibalba. While technically simple, Xibalba focu