At this stage in the game, when most think of a symphonic metal act that doesn’t shy away from extremity, Epica is the first that will come to mind. But InHuman are quickly looking to change that notion with their self-titled debut. Instead of going after similar territory, the band instead takes that symphonic element and tosses it further into a blender of modern, gothic, and extreme influences with a high degree of success for such a young act.
There’s a lot to digest with InHuman at first. The sheer breadth of their sound is impressive, as they move from rumbling death metal riffing at one moment to eerie gothic landscapes to bombastic symphonic flight in the next. But the grandeur of the way that they move is what makes it work in the end. “The Chosen Cancer” swirls with dark, brooding gothic notes but isn’t afraid to change-up into chunky mid-tempo death metal with snarling growls to flesh out the intensity. Toss in some well-placed melodies, and it’s a nice twist on plenty of familiar elements. “For the Life of Me” includes some frenetic thrash/melodeath sections, but the way that some dreamy melodic moments are worked in makes it an absolute showstopper of a track. They really grasp how to use the dynamics to their advantage, and they play to this strength with a majority of the tracks. Even the closing instrumental “Home” follows this lead, with a thrilling mixture of powerful synths, rattling drums, and triumphant melodies to give the album a very memorable sendoff.
InHuman work with a lot of the genre’s basics but the way they employ them gives them a fresh feel. From bone-crushing heavy parts with growls and urgent riffs to serene melodies and clean vocals with a gothic air to them, they capture a true storytelling feel that makes the music that much more powerful. Sure to make fans of this material stand up and notice.