EP Review: Infensus Inferi "The Abomination Of The Divine Heretic"
Tracklist:
- Revenant
- Abomination Of The Divine Heretic
- N3L
- Torture Porn
- Traphouse Of Terror
- OP (Oblivious Populous)
- Mental Hellth
Review
North Carolina extreme death metal act Infensus Inferi was founded by Pete Stroupe in 2010, but the group had to take a long break after health issues. Now, for the first time in 10 years, the band returns with their EP Abomination Of The Divine Heretic.
The first track Revenant introduces itself with a booming drum fill that blasts into death metal destruction as explosive guitar leads, slamming drums, and fierce growls, create a speeding pacing that is filled with brutality. Suddenly rapid, bright guitar melodies pierce through the mix, showcasing a tech-death style of instrumentation. Death metal immediately comes across but soon the band reveals technical nuance in instrumentals and even "whistly" growls that remind of genres like grindcore.
The title track, Abomination Of The Divine Heretic starts with similarly fast pacing to the previous track as screams, blast beats, and tremolo guitar blend a traditional death metal sound with influences from black metal. Vocals come across slightly pushed back in the mix, still clearly noticeable but allowing bright vocals and percussive elements to really shine. Suddenly Infensus Inferi launches into a down-tempo breakdown with drop-tuned chugging before moving into a groove-metal section. After a blistering guitar solo, the song ends on a particularly heavy note with dissonant pick scrapes, slamming tempos, and crushing vocals.
Next up is N3L which starts with an intro that reminded me of an old-school thrash vibe as guitar melodies are contrasted by percussive drums going off in the background. Racing blast beats are met by extreme vocals and hard-hitting guitar. With 2 guitar solos, N3L showcases the bands technicality before ending with an isolated growl.
Song 4, Torture Porn begins with a left panned guitar riff as booming bass slides into action alongside distorted vocals that create a snarling, demonic sound. After an onslaught of intensely heavy guitar, screams, and grooving drum beats, the band speeds things up as rapid guitar trills are emphasized.
Traphouse of Terror starts with black metal pacing, catapulting into full action with a whistling screech. Bass can be heard thumping behind hectic guitar riffs as instrumentals create a sense of controlled chaos. Brutally heavy down-beat riffs create an unmistakably death metal sound that is unrelenting throughout the songs runtime of just over 4 minutes. Traphouse of Terror features some of the most extreme grindcore vocal techniques as guitar pinch harmonics create a screeching contrast to vocals.
OP (Oblivious Populous) starts with a riff that's striking pattern reminds me slightly of early Gojira, with that fiercely heavy but technical sound that has dramatic pauses and changes in dynamics. Infensus Inferi's unapologetically brutal sound is here to melt your face off and N3L keeps that intensity for its entire length.
Mental Hellth picks up where the previous track left off, bringing back extreme vocals, impossibly fast blast beats, and lightning-fast guitar leads. The atmosphere is filled with drop-tuned instrumentals, explosive growls, and booming drums, creating a thick, destructively heavy soundscape. Synchronized guitar chugs and double bass drum patterns create a chunky sound before a snarl leads into a faster pacing change. A sudden breakdown with isolated drums and electronic growls that rapidly cut in and out, adds a unique outro to the song that is memorable.
The Abomination Of The Divine Heretic is a wildly heavy of death metal that blends modern extreme metal with a traditional old-school sound. With songs blending together to create an atmosphere that feels continuous from track to track, Infensus Inferi creates an intense sound that fans of extreme metal will enjoy.
You can stream the band's latest EP available now!
