Infern unveils its debut album.
After a short EP, the band comprising Julien Tanguy (vocals, ex-Anthares), Pierre-Loup Corvez (guitar/vocals, ex-The Dying Seed), Sylvain Collas (bass, Stonebirds, ex-The Dying Seed), Jean-Marie Grövel (guitar, Gengis) and Simon Beux (drums, Taliandörögd) sign to Dolorem Records and announce the release of Turn of the Tide.
Undertow is the first track to strike, first with its ominous introduction, then with a heavy Death Metal with easily identifiable influences, as much in the riffing as in the greasy vocals. Accelerations punctuate the waves of violence that lead into Phineas Case and its high tempo, perfect for the band’s jerky approach, with particularly polished drumming far removed from simple blast. The track is formidable, and doesn’t even slow down when the first solo sounds, but becomes rawer during the second before giving way to Tormented Paranoid where the heavy groovy aspect is once again brought to the fore, creating an almost disturbing rhythm. The double kick suddenly appears, reinforcing the riffs before the explosive Burning Fields follows with a frantic approach that perfectly suits the fury with which the band adorns itself before slowing down again for Archetype of Brutal Aggressor to offer dissonant harmonics. The energetic guitars set an epic tone for the track, perfect for a frenzied headbanging session, then we stay in the Old School mood with the earthquake provoked by the arrival of Gaining Ground, a composition in which melancholy leads adorn the rawest parts. The final section, in which the backing vocals join the lead vocals, is simply devastating, and is followed by the virulent State Puppet Theater, with its catchy outbursts of rage where the musicians don’t hold back in creating a jerky rhythm. March of the Grotesque then establishes itself as one of the album’s most unifying anthems, whether thanks to its effective chorus or its mosh-friendly riffs, followed by a hint of Thrash on To The Extreme, which lets the guitars offer a few more complex elements from time to time. We’re given a few seconds’ respite with the ominous introduction to Buried Alive, but saturation soon comes back to haunt us and give the track its brutality, never hesitating to slow down to feed the choking sensation with which the band keeps us on the edge of our seats right to the end.
Far from being a tribute project, Infern have learned perfectly from their influences to create their own riffs forged in violence. Turn of the Tide is sure to stir skulls and spill ink!
90/100