Boston's Infera Bruo formed in late-2009, and this self-released four song/33-minute EP contains their first recorded output. Three of the tracks top nine minutes long, so you're in for an unexpectedly lengthy dose of diverse and crisply recorded black metal that utilizes quite a bit of layering throughout—right down to the variations on bitter snarls and choral singing (which lends an epic, Primordial-esque vibe to the material). There's plenty of that rapid-fire tremolo picking that coalesces into discordant surges, and just the right amount of those eerie, crawling melodies that always catch my ear (especially during the superb "Upon Stone", which is the shortest and most energetic of the compositions). I guess the bulk of the influences do come across as hailing from traditional, in your face black metal, but there's certainly more to it than that. For instance, there are several areas where portions of the guitar work cave in to straight up grating feedback and harsh noise, and it seems that the synths present are generally used for similarly abstract textures (there's certainly no orchestral keyboard mess happening here). The vocal variation alone really provides the songwriting with some interesting angles. And despite the focused aggression at the heart of it all, the musicianship is really tight and precise, with some surprisingly technical flourishes tucked away (most notably during the solos), so... they're definitely not going for that raw, super straightforward attack. It's cool because it's familiar without feeling unoriginal. I really dig the aesthetic of the cover art as well, it definitely caught my eye right off the bat. There's a lot of promise here, and I could definitely see this band making some waves as they continue to garner more attention. I'll look forward to hearing how they progress and expand musically, for sure...
This one's available digitally for just $4, so do the right thing and make the purchase if you like what you hear!
Get It
Bandcamp (mp3)
