ALBUM REVIEW: Inferno – Paradeigma (Phosphenes of Aphotic Eternity)

Czechia Black Metal occultists INFERNO return with their 8th full length album. Out via Debemur Morti Productions on May 7th.

Pounding drums amidst doomy ambience opens the record with a brooding mood that soon descends into triumphant yet unwelcoming soundscapes. The utterly insane drum work and biting guitar riffs churn forth an impenetrable layer of dense and claustrophobic Black Metal with remorseless precision and aggression. The dissonance contorts the music into violent apparitions of otherworldly nature while the production aids the sound in a way that is immensely heavy with the intensity of the music unveiled in a way that is never predictable. As we delve deeper into these sounds, the thunderous drumming is apocalyptic in nature while the guitar onslaught is far more piercing like a ritual dagger, these foundations coupled with carefully utilised synths and maniacally drawn out vocals conjures a most unique and favourable example of Black Metal, showcasing gloriously that the Eastern Bloc can still be relied upon for truly non-derivative and special outputs of extremity.

While bands such as Inferno are very difficult to compare to others, I can say that they draw out the more dissonant edge of bands like Deathspell Omega while the density of the music is comparable to “In The Nightside Eclipse” in parts, though veering in a very different direction. The pulsating keys sometimes bring the likes of Master’s Hammer to mind though usually only for a brief moment before the cataclysmic assault morphs back into abyssal realms of dread. The punishing and almost industrial droning that occurs amidst blastbeats and visceral, warping riffs gives a bottomless depth to this album on rather a large scale, creating that feeling of a hypnic jerk with their daunting Black Metal prowess.

Towards the latter sections of this opus of dread and ritualistic might, Inferno do not ease the intensity at all. This album is one of no respite, no hope and no remorse. A plethora of violent, ecstatic and genuinely bombastic sounds that tie together with jarring and blurring lines that are somehow organic yet totally inhuman. The instrumentals are no more or less unsettling than the vocals, for this band is clearly a unit whom share a common and disturbing vision, one they execute in unison to grandiose effect. Truly a chilling and uninviting session of auditory hallucinations that will shake many, perhaps lingering unwelcome in the mind, while a few may find the rewarding experience they seek. There is certainly a feeling of playing with fire that accompanied this record, one that a minority will truly appreciate, alas I can say it was indeed a frantic and unearthly experience.

Naturally, this is not an easy listen. It is an all-encompassing and dreadfully anguished piece of art that requires full attention to truly appreciate its magnificent and malevolent energies. For those familiar with the insanity of Eastern Bloc bands, this is yet another shining example that stood the test of time in their long career and still make something superbly different to their contemporaries. Masterfully executed, devilish and downright strange, yet making perfect sense. A contrast unto itself of juxtaposing yet supremely rich musical ability that concocts a dastardly experience for those who dare dwell in this realm.