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Underground Black Metal the way it should be, Depressive and all.-
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| Infestus: E x | I s t |
Black Metal
Debemur Morti Records
May 17th, 2011
- Akoasma - 3:49
- Down Spiral Depersonification - 8:05
- Darkness Blazing in the Flame of Fire - 8:48
- Torn Observer - 3:54
- Mirror Mind Reality - 9:23
- Der Blick Hinaus - 8:15
- Descend Direction Void - 9:38
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| Review Information |
Release length: 51:53
Review posted on May 9th, 2011
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| | Overall Score: 10/10 |
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| Discography |
Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed. |
| Full-Length(s): |
Worshipping Times of Old (2004) • Chroniken des Ablebens (2008) E x | I s t (2011)
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| Split(s): |
Lost Life / Infestus (2006)
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| Demo(s): |
Of Ancient Splendour (2003)
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| Review |
Infestus is a one man German Black Metal project that has stayed in the heavy shadows of the underground for quite some time. This project came to be after the disbanding of Dunkelfront, finding sole member Andras without a band. Officially forming around 2003, this act has only issued two full-length albums, with a split in between. Chroniken des Ablebens, the second full-length, was released in 2008, four years after the debut Infestus release. Now, another three years later, the one man act unleashes the third melancholic Black Metal assault to those who know how to scour the underground and find a real gem once in a while.
E x | I s t starts off with a rather typical introduction with the track "Akoasma", a long winded Ambient piece that sets up a very dark and cold atmosphere to the album, and braces the listener for a very melancholic release. At times, the album takes on shades of the more depressive Black Metal style that many acts seem to be performing in the underground, and it works very well for Infestus and, with the solid songwriters that appears throughout, it works very well to weave a gloomy album full of dismal experiences. Aside the introductory track "Akoasma" and the interlude "Torn Observer", the album's core tracks are over eight minutes long each, with "Descent Direction Void" clocking in at nine minutes and thirty eight seconds. But, these tracks have plenty fo things going for them, such as a varier amount of changes within the music that are transitioned properly and keep the general flow of the song, the overall bleak atmosphere from start to finish with well dispersed moments of aggression like much of "Down Spiral Depersonification", and the inclusion of some acoustic guitars at times to add a little hint of beauty to the misery. These varying elements keep the songs from becoming repetitive, as well as makes each song truly unique from one another, coming off in a truly professional manner without relying solely on audio clips of playing the same chords for a five minute bride like some bands like to do.
The overall quality of the release is something to take notice of as well. While the raw and "kvlt" styles of recording are growing in number, so are the amount of underground acts recording in a more digital manner. The production of this release falls into the latter, and it sounds great by allowing all elements of the music to be at just the right levels where nothing is overpowering another instrument or two. The guitars have a decent amount of distortion, and the bass adds to them nicely with it's audible follow-the-leader manner of playing, which works well for the album to cast a deeper brooding sensation to the music. The drumming is fantastic and shows great control and often some restraint when it comes to the more technical aspects going into slower, less technical passages. The vocals, for the most part, are the typical rhaspy voice, but have a nice edge to them from the distortion, and while they are traditionally a higher pitch, there's this seemless range to them that pushed out a gutteral sound that comes off purely primal.
While much of the emphasis to the recording is focused on a strong melancholic and depressive atmosphere, the track "Mirror Mind Reality" really stands out on it's own. The song isn't so much depressive, as it feels more like a reflective track, as if the band is trying to entice the listener to gaze back or into one's own soul. There are random outbursts of aggression in the track too, but most of the time they are met with some haunting Black Metal chords in the background that seem to take the poison out of the furious blast beats and the bite of the echoed vocals to set that fort of tone. The track manages to ring out into "Der Blick Hinaus" which also has an acoustic introduction that feels reflective, but in a completely different sense, as if gazing into water and staring back at yourself instead of into your soul. The slower paced music really sets up the coming track that, again, lacks a depressive state and feels more natural in a sense, but it's still a great sensation that allows the listener to close his or her eyes and just slowly drift along with the powerful music and let the visions in their minds spring to life.
E x | I s t is a fantastic Black Metal offering. Period. Especially for a one man band. Infestus,/b> brings music to the release that is solid, and there's never really any moments on the release where you will get tired of it, or even ask if it's almost over. The atmospheres on the release vary, and while that's a good thing, it can lead to some confusion, but that's really the only complaint that can be found about this release. The depressive, melancholic vibes to the music mixed with poisonous aggression and reflective musical numbers make this an album that becomes a must buy for fans of the style, as well as even those who are leary about the whole underground scene since it doesn't follow the recent trends in that realm fo the Metal world, just the preconceptions that many bands have going into making an album sound like this through lo-fi means.
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Digital review copy of this release provided by:
Debemur Morti Productions
via Clawhammer PR.
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