REVIEW: INFERNO’s The Anthropic Sophisms (On The Heights Of Despair) – “Like It’s Coming From Another Dimension”
(Debemur Morti Productions)
Let’s get strange. On their ninth full-length album, Inferno fills the music with fast-moving, unusual sounds and colors. This Czech black metal band does not play it safe. Their music is packed with layers of sound, noisy effects, tense rhythms, and sounds that clash with one another. It is easy to see why people call them an avant-garde band, meaning they like to try unusual and experimental ideas.
You might expect Inferno’s music to sound scattered and messy. But The Anthropic Sophisms (On The Heights Of Despair) works because the riffs are strong and the melodies are dark. The whole album has an uneasy, hopeless feeling, while the fiery guitar riffs give each song a powerful base.
The way the album is recorded and presented makes the music sound as if it comes from another dimension. It brings to mind Teitanblood, whose music also seems to come from a strange, mysterious place beyond what we can imagine. The vocals are a deep, muffled growl mixed low in the sound, almost as if they are coming from a black hole. The other instruments are much clearer, especially the drumming by Sheafraidh. He moves between groovy, psychedelic rhythms, heavy industrial beats, fast blastbeats, and wild, jazzy playing.
The album has only four tracks, but it lasts 40 minutes in total. The standout is the nearly 14-minute song “With Raving Mouths They Utter Things Mirthless, Unadorned And Unperfumed”. Its disturbing opening brings to mind Japanese underground band Endless Dismal Moan. The music imitates a broken heartbeat with tribal-style chanting, industrial beats, and noise. Then, at the seven-minute mark, powerful guitars break through. The track is hypnotic and keeps its strength throughout, and the sudden increase in speed near the end is brilliant.
This is an album that gets better with repeated listens. Its atmosphere pulls you in, with sudden bursts of anger and power. This is not black metal that relies on nonstop blastbeats and constant violence. It will not appeal to everyone, but fans of Celtic Frost and Blut Aus Nord should love it. Its dark, frightening melodies and guitar work offer a strong starting point for listeners who want to explore something unusual.
Listen to the album on Bandcamp.