Wading through old school metal revivalists nowadays is like trying to dig through the haystack to find the needle. There’s just so much of it out there, it’s hard to find much that really resonates. Infern is a new act from France that is just tossing their name into the ring with their first album with Turn of the Tides. While they might not be the most revolutionary band out there amongst the old school death metal camp, for a debut that has taken its fair share of influence from Bolt Thrower (and to a lesser extent, Obituary), they are off to a solid start.
Certainly you can’t go through Turn of the Tides without noticing some nods to the two aforementioned bands in the intro. The massive grooves that build up their sound proudly wear their influences on their sleeves, and that’s totally fine. Because ultimately with this genre, it’s about two main things. The first, is the songwriting solid and capable of making you move past the ‘sounds like’ syndrome? In this case, absolutely. The melodies are catchy, and the grooves are massive. “Gaining Ground” has that classic midtempo stomp, soaring with energy but still catchy underneath it all, just as one example. Faster cuts like “March of the Grotesque” unloads an ear-catching solo as well as it batters the drums as the tempo increases.
The second piece, which is just as important from a personal standpoint, is if it catches that ‘fun factor.’ Melodies and riffs are great, but material like this should also elicit a bit of fun. The music should grab the listener, not just with nostalgia factor but bring about those warped, death metal induced smiles. Infern does just that with the sense of snap in the riffing. “Phineas Case” has a visceral edge to it, with driving riffs that flex strong grooves and power that draw in the listener. Likewise, “Burning Fields” utilizes its tempo dynamics to bring in some crushing grooves and urgent riffing when needed to capture the listener’s interest.
For fans of old school death metal, you can’t go wrong with anything Infern has to offer on Turn of the Tides. It’s got plenty of hook-filled, energetic riffs and powerful vocals in the genre’s traditional forms and structure, but still finds a way to keep things interesting and fun. A great debut with even more potential for the future.