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Xenos is an Italian band that plays cacophonous thrash metal with shouted vocals not far removed from late '80s Slayer (circa South of Heaven) on their album Filthgrinder. The guitarist lays down a possessed layer of buzz saw riffs that are the strength of Xenos' sound because the vocals, while like Tom Araya's distinctive shout in sound and delivery, are less varied or charismatic. They are a nearly monotone bellow that sounds much the same from one song to the next so the whole album ends up a homogenous, if loud and aggressive, experience. Except for the cover of Megadeth's "Peace Sells," that is. Again, the guitar sounds good, not the iconic sound of Mustaine and Poland of course, but they do hold their own. It's the singer that holds this cover back as his voice is unsuited to the song's vocal lines and he sounds uncomfortable in his delivery. There are some things on Filthgrinder that hint of promise, but they will require some tweaking of the songwriting or perhaps the singing if Xenos want to make a name for themselves as other than a Slayer sound alike.