Infester
ToThe Depths, In Degradation

Here is the new, tenth step in the series "Uncovering Forgotten Death Metal".

Despite having known this work for a long time, it took me a long time to review it; this time it's not negligence or forgetfulness, it's a creative crisis that grips me every time I put it in the stereo and open a blank page. This work is one of the Death albums (not Brutal, mind you) that fascinates me the most and yet leaves me bewildered with each listen. It leaves me bewildered by its deeply occult and dark nature, it leaves me bewildered because I never understand if it is made with the seriousness it wants to convey (in that case, it would be concerning) or with a perfectly disguised playful spirit (in that case, it would be commendable), it leaves me bewildered by its truly extraordinary artwork (it seems like an "infernal" reinterpretation of Hieronymous Bosch) and unsettling. What I find myself listening to is nonetheless a truly sinister Death Metal that has as its only comparison, the much rejected "Soulside Journey" by Darkthrone.

Infester was an American band that passed through the extreme metal scene as swiftly as a champagne cork, albeit not without causing "damage"; indeed, they sowed their path with "To The Depths, In Degradation" which, although it found no followers, left an indelible mark on those who followed the scene in those years or on those who haven't forgotten it in the subsequent years (like myself). Their only work indeed represents an unrepeated case and, arriving in 2007, unrepeatable in the entire genre; released in 1994 (at the end of the great Death wave), it was surely much influenced by the now-ongoing Black movement. A vaguely musical inspiration (I want to mention "Chambers Of Reunion"), much more evident thematically (though devoid of the adolescent impulsivity of bands like Darkthrone, Immortal, and Mayhem and instead crafted with that almost philosophical rationality Chuck Schuldiner, in other ways, had already demonstrated). In short, at first glance, it seems like a real Concept Album, but the not completely serious Intros and the quite idiotic-looking band photo cast some doubt on the actual nature of this album. Joke or Black Bible? Reading the very well-crafted lyrics and listening to the demonic progress of the songs, it seems that the three were serious (and if the lyrics weren't so shadowy and reflective, I would call them "fanatics"), but the elements listed above leave me with a doubt I hope you, with listening, will help me resolve.

From a strictly musical standpoint, Infester is indebted to the darkest and most oppressive Death from bands like early Gorguts, the previously reviewed Disincarnate, Incantation, Benediction, Accidental Suicide: those familiar with the last three bands I mentioned might imagine that Doom interpolations aren't missing. However, Thrash metal influences are much less important in this CD, perhaps already "corrupted" by the new trends in extreme metal; only rarely will you find passages with an eighties flavor, for the rest, you will find riffing that's old but already distanced from Thrash/Death.

The guitar, played by the singer, unfolds riffs black as boiling pitch so well described by Dante in Canto XXI, sharp as the Demons' "hooks", not always direct and comprehensible; if you're thinking this description has been influenced by the artwork, I can't fault you but if you listened to this album you'd realize that at least in this case the graphics describe the album content masterfully. The slowdowns, where the chords are sometimes interspersed with authentic silences, are indispensable; what the six strings convey, as much in acceleration as in deceleration, is a sense of evil beyond human dimension, that "dead aura" the supreme poet always names in his works. If you combine this barrage of malice with at least good technical skills (the production is quite confused), you’ll get an idea of how peculiar this album turns out. The bassist's performance is good, unlike the guitar favored by the production; his instrument is always audible and takes a prominent position, duly completing the atmosphere. Drumming is excellent, technical in accelerations (often very long) and felt in the slowdowns; alongside the usual classic Thrash and early Death tempos, there's a massive use of Blast Beat (both in its simplest form, the so-called European Blast, and its Brutal variant, the Bomb Blast) and a reasonable dose of delightful and well-placed counter-times.

Lastly, there's the voice; it's probably effected, but in the end, I couldn't care less. Imagine the most rotten and luciferous Growl you can think of and bear in mind that in 1994, the typical "growl" of current Slam (an extreme form of Brutal) wasn't in vogue; I think you're not even close. The Growl invades practically the entire soundscape creating an enveloping sensation without resorting to echo or reverb: the result is a gurgling sound coming from who knows where that fills the room and often morphs into screams that could only come from a damned's mouth (to continue my long Dante metaphor). Listen to the first track and I believe you'll be astounded as soon as he begins to sing (at least I was).

The songs are long (averaging over five minutes per song), very well composed and structured, and alongside typical stylistic elements, we find keyboard arrangements that are always measured and suitable to thicken the atmosphere: those perverse "melodies" of guitar that occasionally emerge in the album, distant and sulfurous, also contribute to this end. Not all episodes are equally effective, and songs like the concluding "Mephetic Exhumation" or "A Higher Act Of Immutabile Beauty" end up negatively affecting the otherwise excellent final judgment. In any case, if there's one thing not lacking in this CD, it's the mood, immersed in the most terrifying and tense penumbra.

"To The Depths, In Degradation" is an album that all Death enthusiasts should own and venerate; a true Cult album that its lack of success hasn’t turned into a phenomenon. Ten tracks of "Dark Art For Black Souls" ("Arte Oscura Per Anime Nere), as an inscription on the booklet states: a panoramic view of the infernal circles.