The Ultimate Review of The Arcane Wisdom...

Only in a limited number of cases, metal bands get the attention they deserve. Unfortunately, Infinity is not among these groups. Although the band reliably delivers black metal that leaves no desires unfulfilled, their outputs seem to be overlooked by the majority of the genre supporters. This is a pity, because the slightly melodic black metal of the Dutch gang is certainly worth discovering. To clarify the label "melodic black metal", I am not speaking about symphonic sounds, keyboards or beautiful female voices. The genre-typical yet interesting melodies are created by the guitars and they cause a dark and desperate atmosphere. While finding the right balance between harmonies and velocity, the band always keeps an eye on a conclusive overall impression. The two musicians celebrate genuine black metal that needs no infusion with foreign stylistic devices.

You notice this as soon as you read the song titles. Fairly epic names like "The Legend of the Sunken Monastery" or "Within the Timeless Winds of the Beyond" are without doubt a reference to the tradition of bombastic titles such as "A Sign for the Norse Hordes to Ride" or "Cosmic Keys to My Creations & Times". Nevertheless, the guys of Infinity do not offer corny riffs or melodies that have been heard a thousand times before. Believe me, the songs do not leave a stale taste. The opposite is true. The Dutch present an acceptable collection of freshly produced tracks. Their black brew can be best compared with the timeless music of Dissection´s first albums. While considering this situation, it is consequently only logical that they cover "Night´s Blood". And not only due to their technical skills, it comes as no surprise that they do it in a dignified manner. Despite of this fact, the here presented full-length does not fully match Dissection´s outstanding level of brilliance.

Some may say that the album has become somewhat long. I beg to differ. Admittedly, the sound collage "Choronzon" is fairly redundant. But apart from that minor flaw, the band has a good sense for exciting song structures. This ensures that boredom is banished. A successful example is "The Rise of Azazel". After starting with playful guitar tones, the song turns to a harsh up-tempo number. This alone may not be very unusual, but the guys demonstrate how to link the different parts in an almost perfect manner. Reflecting this, it does not matter that, for instance, the deep and rough vocals do not appear as an outstanding feature. I would like to categorize them as usual black metal vocals. And this is fine with me. But there is a small problem with the production. The album´s sound is dark and gloomy, but it lacks a bit of power. It´s not a big deal, but it leaves room for improvement.

Especially band leader and multi-instrumentalist Balgradon Xul is evidently capable to capture the obscure spirit of the genre without making any lame compromises. According to this, the motto of the band is "Black metal is intolerance". To be honest, I appreciate this kind of narrow-mindedness. Furthermore, I would like to emphasize that the musicians comply with this specification. They enrich the European underground while delivering a plausible and honest product and having the right attitude. And that is exactly what counts.
Final Score: 57 / 100