Norway is a country with a very fertile feeling for music. After the coming of the Second Wave of Black Metal, many excellent acts from different musical genres appeared there and gained worldwide recognition. But the main musical product of Norway is still Black Metal, and some very good releases still are coming from there, as "Intrinsic", the first album from INFLABITAN.

The band can be said as a project of Inflabitan, a known Norwegian musician who played with the underground legend STRID, and played as a live musician on DØDHEIMSGARD. And his work shows to be a fine form of Norwegian Black Metal, but with clear influences from German Thrash/Black Metal in some parts (just pay attention to some guitar riffs of "Avanti Cristo") and some touches from Old School Death Metal can be heard as well, but the patient listening to the album will reveal some morbid melodic parts appears as well. The words can depict that it's just another Norwegian Black Metal release, but it's really charming, and bears lovely musical arrangements.

The production was done in a way that could preserve the old spirit of Norwegian Black Metal (that crude and raw approach on instrumental tunes), but guided by the idea that the listeners must understand what's being expressed by the band. It's a good sonority, indeed, fitting on what the album's standing for. Two guests are presented on "Intrinsic": AntiChristian plays the drums (and he is a former member of TSJUDER) and Aldrahn (the former vocalist of DØDHEIMSGARD, ZYKLON-B, and actually a member of URARV and THORNS). And their contributions are important and improve things, as can be heard on "Avanti Cristo" (a song rich on guitars arrangements, and with a very good set of rhythmic contrasts), "Crown of Horns" (a technical and aggressive songs, filled with many good arrangements, especially on bass guitar and drums), "Egocide" (this one shows an Old School Thrash/Death Metal appeal), "Divine Prostitution" (fine technical and melodic arrangements on guitars), "The Evil Mainframe" (a massive rhythmic pile driver on the ears on the fest parts, but climatic on the slower moments), and "Children of the Damned". These are the ones to become addicted to on this album.

"Intrinsic" is really a charming release, and let's hope that Inflabitan keeps this project going!