INFER
Aeon Of Deathless Blight
(Nigredo Records)
35:25min

Slovakian outfit INFER was formed back in 2002. So far they have released three albums, one EP and one split CD. And “Aeon Of Deathless Blight” is the fourth full length release in their respectable 18 year career span. Upon first hearing, the album opener, ‘Vision Of Primal Horror’ was kind of confusing. Its long guitar chords and deep growls had me expecting some Doom / Death Metal. And it sounded pretty good actually. But as soon as the second track kicked in, I was thrown back by a huge blast of heavy, aggressive and fast Death / Black Metal. First things first: the overall sound is huge. The production values are in par with any other big names in the global underground. The guitar tone is crushing, the bass is present and heavy and the drums pound their way into your skull right away. It was recorded / mixed in Slovakia and mastered in Endarker Studios, Sweden, where such bands as MARDUK, RAGNAROK and POWERTRIP, just to name a few, have worked too. So production wise, everything is top notch. There are a couple details that I noticed from the start: the drums are a bit too prominent in the mix and the snare drum sound was really hard to get used to. But once I got past those things, it was all good. As stated above, Richard’s bass is really prominent, which is good. He follows the guitar most of the time, but you can feel how tight his playing is. Especially when you got blast beats coming in and out in most of the songs. Which takes me to drummer Robo; his performance is really precise, including relentless double bass and fast, recognizable fills. Last, but not least, Peter’s guitar riffs are sharp and detailed and his vocals are so strong and solid. This is what you call a “Power Trio”. Basically, INFER’s “Aeon Of Deathless Blight” is a tour de force in Death / Black Metal. At an average of 4 minutes per song, this album just bashes your head relentlessly in just 35 minutes. They are not bringing anything new to the table, but the work, the attitude and the conviction really shows. This is one strong Death Metal album from a really respectable band. Contact them at www.facebook.com/infer666 and get their album from www.nigredorecords.org

Alfonso Perez

Alfonso Perez

INFER
Aeon Of Deathless Blight
(Nigredo Records)
35:25min

An aggressive, brutal and at times chaotic blend of Black and Death Metal, INFER’s “Aeon Of Deathless Blight” is an album to be reckoned with. It demands quite a bit of attention, which is not typical of Black Metal. The slow chord changes that can almost lull you into a state of transcendence aren’t found on this album, instead there is a surprising number of twists and turns along the road; nothing too technical, but enough to keep you on your toes. You don’t “groove” to this album, you encounter it, and then it attacks you. With a nod to traditional Black Metal, there are elements of that classic lo-fi sound here. The snare drum especially reminds me of early DARKTHRONE, and yet there are other elements that are more polished, like that really chunky guitar tone and defined clicky bass drum. I would say the majority of this album is in the realm of Death Metal, with a couple of notable exceptions. ‘Salvation Through Devastation’ and ‘Definite Reversion’ have some rather beautiful moments of what I would call “the funeral march,” that is often the bridge between Black and Doom Metal. To me, these two tracks are the highlights of the album, but I’m a little biased being a Black Metal fan at heart. ‘Into The Pit Of Gehenna’ is another favorite, it has a special sort of chaos going on that I can really get into. This is most pronounced in the guitar solo which is, in my opinion, a very unique interpretation. Instead of getting lost or carried away in too much melody, the tastefully dispersed solos of this album are atmospheric assaults, which go perfectly with the vibe. At times I feel the vocals are a bit too far forward in the mix. That guitar tone is so chunky and heavy, and I think the music would hold itself more assuredly with more of that guitar in the front. Not that there’s anything wrong with the vocal stylings here, but I find them to be at times unpleasantly distracting. “Aeon Of Deathless Blight” is somewhat of a contradiction: it’s simultaneously messy and precise, gloomy and ravenous, modern and classic. INFER is a unique group, I believe I would be able to pick them out of a crowd by their sound alone. For fans of MAYHEM, DARK FUNERAL, MORBID ANGEL. www.facebook.com/infer666, www.facebook.com/nigredorecords

Wendell Roth

Wendell Roth

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