Review: Infernal Coil - Within A World Forgotten

Release Date: September 14th

Label: Profound Lore Records

Album Link:

     There have been an abundance of critically acclaimed Death Metal albums released this year in 2018, the modern Death Metal renaissance is definitely in full swing on labels like 20 Buck Spin and Profound Lore but none of the albums have truly caught my attention like this one did. I first heard this band earlier this year through their 2014 debut demo and was instantly attracted. It was so simultaneously unpleasant and alluring. Infernal Coil have their own unique blend of Grindcore and Death Metal that sounds fit to be the soundtrack to an Apocalypse. Within A World Forgotten is the most unique and in my opinion, best, Death Metal album of 2018.


     The album starts unlike any other I've ever heard, I can't even describe it so I'll just link to the track... In short, this is not a friendly album. "Wounds Never Close"sets the stage for this 35 minute merciless barrage of shifting time signatures, pummeling riffs, and vocals that can at times seem to defy human ability. There is no respite in this album, the only minutes that come close to any sort of reprieve from the sonic hell are the final minutes of "49 Suns". Within A World Forgotten is an unrelenting barrage of musical violence.

     The kind of music Infernal Coil makes is not unique to them, I hear bits of Adversarial, Altarage, and some Grindcore bands but where Infernal Coil differ is the ferocity with which they deliver their music. This may seem like an odd way to positively describe the music, but if I were to try and play it on a phone speaker it would sound like the worst white noise you'd ever heard. It is just that dense and thick, production wise.

     Blake Connally ties everything together with his utterly inhuman vocal performance here, the production helps here too. There are moments where the vocals seem to bounce and reflect off the walls of your skull, and I counted once 3 vocal tracks laid over top of each other to create an eerie chanting effect. Thundercrack samples echo through "Crusher Of The Seed", though upon first listen you confuse them for drums and guitars. That gives you an idea of how dark the atmosphere is on this album. "Continuum Cruciatus" highlights the drum performance, with its tilting and off kilter tempo changes, at one point changing 3 times within 20 seconds.

     The concept and lyrical themes behind the music deal with Nihilist philosophical themes, a bit more heady than your usual Death Metal lyricism as seen on their Bandcamp page: "The musical dichotomy speaks to Infernal Coil’s conceptual themes of the natural world’s paradoxes, contrasting the beauty and chaos of nature, as well as humankind’s seemingly inevitable self-destruction." I personally cannot speak to the content of the lyrics, because they are not listed anywhere and I am not going to try and discern them.

     I have already mentioned my highlights so far, but in this 35 minute 7 track album there are few moments that falter. I do question the band's decision to include a rerecorded track from a previous EP on the album, but it is a great sounding track with an audibly improved production value. "Reflection Of Waldeinsamkeit" is a late album pleaser as well. Again, great drum work and an even more frightening vocal performance to close it out has Connally sounding more like a barking dog than a human.

     Though I have already spoken to my enjoyment of this album in the opening paragraphs, I will reaffirm that this is my favourite Death Metal release of the year. I have confidence that it will not be topped and the album may find its way onto my top ten at the end of the year. Infernal Coil piqued my interest earlier this year when I heard their 2014 debut demo for the first time, and I look forward to watching this young band blossom into something greater than what they already are.

Favourite tracks: Wounds Never Close, Continuum Cruciatus, Reflection Of Waldeinsamkeit


9/10     

   

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