Inferno has resurfaced.
Formed in 1995 in the Czech Republic, the band now led by Adramelech (vocals), Ska-Gul (guitar), Morion (guitar), Sheafraidh (drums), and Matron Thorn (keyboards/vocals, Ævangelist, Benighted in Sodom…), has broken its silence and released its ninth album, The Anthropic Sophisms (On the Heights of Despair), via Debemur Morti Productions.
The band kicks things off with the impressive and equally oppressive Fission of the Soul, a heavy and dissonant opening track that blends massive elements with a darkness and a touch of noise that give it a dense quality, particularly thanks to the keyboards, which take center stage in the mix. On the other hand, vocals take a back seat, almost discreet amid the rest of the mix, haunting the limbo as the instruments weave their darkness, slowing down just a moment before the finale that leads us to Dekranos Katexochen (Mych smrto je bezpocet, mych nemoci mnoho), the next track that dangerously flirts with Doom metal. The slowness of the rhythm section is as heavy as it is intoxicating, even allowing for a brief moment of agonizing calm before the rhythm section picks up again at its own pace, bringing back the hazy guitars and terrifying whispers, but also the unexpected pauses that rush to restart the machine, forcing us willingly or not to immerse ourselves in this pool of darkness as we contemplate its vastness, tossed about by the waves. The track doesn’t hold any major surprises for us, except perhaps the final surge that carries us into With Raving Mouths They Utter Things Mirthless, Unadorned and Unperfumed and its rather minimalist yet highly intriguing introduction, which serves as a moment of respite to better prepare us for the uncompromising and almost majestic onslaught that follows. The contrast between the two passages is striking, each offering a very different atmosphere before finally blending together to create a disharmonious and unsettling whole, where the rhythmic foundation takes the lead, sweeping along with it the veil of dissonance from the guitars that transforms our perception of the universe before reaching Circulus Vitiosus Deus (The Infinity Ravages All), the final track. Much more aggressive at first listen, this instrumental once again takes intriguing and interesting liberties, even occasionally veering toward insistent psychedelic tones, but the seven minutes feel slightly short, especially compared to the other tracks, and the sound eventually fades out on its own.
Inferno is one of those bands with a unique and impressive sound that is strongly discouraged for newcomers, but which sounds like a true delight for the initiated. While The Anthropic Sophisms (On the Heights of Despair) will surprise many, for whatever reason, it will reveal its mysteries to the daring.
85/100