Review Summary: Inborn Suffering conclude their far too short-lived career with an amazingly depressing yet inaccessible album that combines ‘90s doom metal with modern doom/death and a hint of funeral doom, that is definitely worth checking out.
Inborn Suffering was a French doom equipe hailing from Paris that have been active for a small decade and released two full-length albums during their time. One of the prime reasons that Inborn Suffering released so few albums during their active period is that most of its band members have always been quite active spawning creations of metal with other groups. For example, lead vocalist Lauren Chaulet also uses his demonic vocal cords in the doom/death metal band Mourning Dawn, and both lead guitarist Stéphane Peudupin and keyboard player/vocalist Sebastien Pierre are founding members of futuristic melodic death metal band Fractal Gates and are ex-members of the depressing Lethian Dreams; while Sebastien Pierre also acts as frontman for the atmospheric Enshine. Inevitably, this lack of focus for Inborn Suffering from its individual members will have undoubtedly caused its eventual split-up, which is a real pity. This because especially their latest work of art –
Regression to Nothingness – was a truly remarkable doom metal release that deserves not to pass out of knowledge unnoticed; hence this review.
To cut straight to the point: this album is not for everyone. Listening to 75 minutes of desperate shrieking and depressive whispering in tracks individually clocking over ten minutes, whilst the instrumentation is trudging slowly more often than not is an incredibly exhausting experience.
Regression to Nothingness is a quite inaccessible album that combines death/doom with funeral doom in an utterly depressing yet somewhat melodic fashion, which requires patience and determination from its audience and only starts to unveil its twisted dark beauty after quite some spins. However, for the select few who relish the notion of bearing more than an hour of suicidal soundtracks and lyrical themes that depict how life is devoid of meaning: this is the album for you.
‘Slumber Asylum’ puts its listener on the wrong foot with a crunching mid-tempo opening riff accompanied with a slow rolling drumline that leads you right into an amazing lead, that makes one wonder whether we’re dealing with a more average melodic death metal album. However, when Chaulet commences his deep grunting supported by ghostly synths the claustrophobic and suffocating atmosphere of doom kicks in that will last over the entirety of the album.
‘Slumber Asylum’ is a track that has no apparent or catchy chorus, yet somehow musical hooks in the form of interesting guitar leads and subtle changes in tempo make this track enormously enjoyable after hearing it a few times. Chaulet alternates his growling grunts with desperate screams and uncomfortable whispers, setting a tone of complete and utter bleakness.
‘Born Guilty’ continues on a heavier tone with pummeling drums and unrelenting riffs, again with Lauren Chaulet showing the disturbing capabilities of his vocal cords. The chorus starts three minutes into the song with more whispers accompanied by an eerie bassline, after which an epic and slow guitar lead puts Chaulets deep grunts even better in the spotlights. The closing moments of this 11-minute song are made of amazing guitar shredding and solos, fully showcasing what Inborn Suffering are musically capable of.
‘Grey Eden’ is one of the best songs on this album loaded with great ones that builds broodingly for almost ten minutes to a final climax of full double bass ferocity where Chaulet screams viciously in desperation. Goosebumps guaranteed.
The fourth and longest number on this album,
‘Apotheosis’, combines effortlessly all elements of the first three songs – the slow, dreary, funeral doom-inspired parts and the sudden explosions of anger – into one piece of art that works as a summary of the amazing sound Inborn Suffering created on
Regression to Nothingness.
‘Another World’ is made of a much more straightforward doom/death sound that reminds us somewhat of early/mid-‘90s Paradise Lost and Anathema, with guitar sound effects very similar to those used on Fractal Gates albums. Hereafter the dark journey through
Regression to Nothingness takes us to the title track, which is another masterpiece of dark hopelessness. However, this track introduces something new: a trace of twisted, mutated beauty and light here and there, made of ghostly chanting, eerie keys and atmospheric guitar plucking. This only makes the whole more grim and aggressive when the inevitable double bass ferocity returns for one hell of an epic chorus. The closing track
‘Self Contempt Kings’ continues in the same vein as the title track before it, yet manages to be unique in its delivery by an even slower approach and an even catchier and more dramatic mournfully whispered chorus, that carefully guides
Regression to Nothingness towards its closing moments with a memorable distorted guitar solo that slowly dies out into silence.
Regression to Nothingness is one of the most remarkable doom metal albums that has been released in recent years yet somehow manages to slip under most people’s radar. This excellent album of melancholia requires quite some time to unfold its gloomy awesomeness and might scare off many with its slow and sluggish tempo and tracks clocking over 10 minutes. However, it’s really worth your time if one appreciates the mid-90’s doom approach of My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost and Anathema combined with modern death/doom a la Doom:VS and November’s Doom. It’s a grievous fact that Inborn Suffering decided to throw in the towel after this release, because
Regression to Nothingness shows that this French band had so much potential that could have led to more bitter masterpieces such as this one.
