Review Summary: For people who like riffs.
In a ravenous internet culture that gorges on music like a swarm of locusts gorges on a crop, sometimes the easiest way for a death metal group to distinguish themselves is to actually think
inside the box. Experimentation in the genre is currently in abundance, as nearly every week there seems to be a new band claimed to have an unprecedented command of dissonance, counterpoint and dynamics, coining a load of superfluous genre tags along the way. It’s not unreasonable to suggest that just about every major avenue has been taken at least once by now, thus further attempts to fill in death metal’s proverbial blank edges can feel gratuitous at best and desperate at worst. This is why a no-frills attitude is often the most rewarding one, providing the artists that endorse such an attitude have the skill and integrity to create something lively and memorable from a tried-and-true formula.
Obscure Infinity’s influences should be apparent just from observing Jaunjo Castellano’s superb cover art, combining the chilling colour palette of Necrolord’s work with Dan Seagrave’s labyrinthine elegance.
Perpetual Descending into Nothingness is a textbook riff-fest with excellent song-writing, topped off with clear, dynamic and tasteful production. While you could argue that the intro “Entering the Hall of Eternity” is a little too grandiose for what it’s ultimately setting up, the melodious guitar duet is still a pleasure to listen to, and a welcomed change from the oh-so spooky openings that are all too common in death metal. “Sorcery of The Black Souls” is where things get serious, as the guitarists reel off a series of high-octane riffs that fall somewhere in between the thrash-death stylings of Asphyx and the melodic yet menacing refrains of Dissection. The vocals are a fairly standard mid-low death growl affair and the drumming is organic as well as intricate and precise, however, they don’t exactly stand out in what is obviously a guitar-centric album. This isn’t to say that
Perpetual Descending into Nothingness is one-dimensional though, as there are a number of passages that deviate from standard procedure here. The most notable instance is during “A Forlorn Wanderer”, in which the drums and guitars peel back and give way to some theatrical clean vocals, lending the song a surprisingly regal touch without coming across as gimmicky or tacked-on. But, as entertaining as this inclusion may be, the focus quickly returns to firing one blistering riff after another, and the band duly continues in this manner until the album’s uplifting closer “Beyond Spheres and Time”.
Obscure Infinity are not the most original band in the world, but it’s clear that they have no intention to be so. Their adoration for the down-to-earth modus operandi of bands like Pestilence, Grave and Dismember shines through every riff, and – critically – you can tell the members are having fun doing what they do. By eliminating room for error while splicing in some of their own style, Obscure Infinity have created an album that will have you returning long after its contemporaries have worn thin.
