After an album, Infirmum is back with an EP.
Since 2018 (under the name of Kuolonkoura), the band now composed of Timo Solonen (guitar), Anna Rose (vocals), Taka Eliel (vocals, Sanctuary of Hate), Erna Siikavirta (keyboards, ex-Lordi, ex-Sinergy, live for Children of Bodom), Sammy Anttonen (guitar, Sacrament), Joonas Siikavirta (bass, Begrim) and Hanna-Leena (drums, Selvityksen Alla) plays melancholic Doom/Death.
With the help of Juuso Raatikainen (drums, Swallow The Sun), Johannes Tolonen (bass, Manzana), Paula Gherasim (violin, Raven’s Heart, ex-AN THEOS) and Teemu Mastovaara (cello), the band unveils three tracks of pure beauty melted to a haunting blackness. With Mask, the first track, we quickly notice this seizing contrast between massive howlings and appeasing clean vocals while the rhythmic offers slow and weighing sonorities, supported by majestic and heady elements to walk with the duo. The progression into darkness will be followed by Fearless Part II, a song which echoes with a track from the first album. We find this worrying slowness, this as deep as hooking ambience, but also more heavy and mystical parts, allowing strings the final part of the song before The Great Unknown comes to submerge with its intense despair. We have to wait for saturation to come, but melancholic tones take over its coming, accompanied by powerful vocals before the whole band joins for a mad dance into suffering until the very last time.
With this new release, Infirmum confirms the band knows to inject melancholy and strength to its riffs. Despite being short, The Great Unknown perfectly represents us the band’s musical landscape, between shadow and light.
80/100