Death Metal has many faces. Influences, concepts, composers and performances mix to create genres and subgenres. And each has its own differences, in some cases notorious, in others just nuances and / or details that differ a lot from band to band, creating an identity. And the North American outfit ÆNIGMATUM is one of those cases, where all these elements are combined into music that feels both familiar yet different at the same time. Like a breeze of fresh air, although in this case the breeze is a hurricane and the air is poisonous. Their third full-length encompasses a lot of influences, basing their style in Death Metal, technical and brutal, that also includes eerie melodic leads, dissonant chords, lots of palm muted riffs and tremolo picking passages. The tempo changes are constant, with a really clever use of double bass and blast beats. The songs are not just a combination of riffs. They feel like mature compositions where there is an obvious intention from every instrument. If I could summarize it, it would be a Black Metal infused version of DEATH’s “The Sound Of Perseverance” and ALTARS’ “Paramnesia”; a healthy dose of controlled chaos, as interesting as it gets. I found myself discovering new details every time I listened to it preparing for this review. Guitarists Kelly Mclaughlin and Eli Lundgren trade off an amazing whirlwind of guitar riffs going from sheer aggression to atmospheric and haunting parts, embellished by the amazing bass lines of Brian Rush. His intriguing bass work only adds to the complexity of the music and reminded me of some of Roger Patterson’s (RIP) work in ATHEIST. Here is where drummer Pierce Williams’ crucial role shows up. He is in charge of keeping the stringed instruments from falling into an uncontrollable state. He knows exactly when to jump into the surgical madness and when to bound everything to the ground. And to top it off, Mclaughlin’s vocal phrasing fits perfectly, rounding this album into a really engaging listening experience. The production is organic with a balanced mix that gives each instrument its own space, but also glueing all elements into unity. The guitars are massive and dark, really coherent with the album’s atmosphere. A mid-range, clancking bass tone fills in both the top and bottom ends plus some great sounding and tight drums. The master is not bricked, which opens up to every dynamic and lets the listener enjoy the album all the way through. To conclude, “Infinitude’s Passage” is one of the most interesting, complex and heavy pieces of music I’ve heard in some time. And it delivers the goods 100%. Absolutely recommended. Please show some well deserved support to the band at www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063560651573 and get their album from www.facebook.com/20buckspin