It's common for many fans to understand where and when Thrash/Black Metal was born. One must remember that the First Generation of European Thrash Metal acts were heavily influenced by VENOM, so it's not hard to link the points and understand why DESTRUCTION, SODOM, KREATOR, HELLHAMMER/CELTIC FROST, BULLDOZER and others created (even they understanding it or not on those days) the foundations of the genre. And under these foundations the Italian quartet KRYPTONOMICON built their second album, "Infernalia". The quartet is an Old School Thrash/Death/Black Metal act, evoking elements of the past of the 80's (when the boundaries of the three genres weren't as solid as they are today), and when hardcore/Punk Rock influences were extremely clear on the genre. Of course the feeling that 'I heard it before' will be a constant during the songs, but with such energy and set of hooks, used with wisdom and with a personal balance, all gains a new life and becomes interesting.

The instrumental is solid and with a good technical level (with guitar solos evoking melodies of acts as MERCYFUL FATE), the vocals are using tunes near the normal voices (and not snarls, scream, shrieks or grunts). But after all these hooks, who cares? Dive into it and enjoy! The production was done to have resemblances with the filthy and organic appeal of the 80's, but always trying to be defined and understandable (what doesn't mean that they're 'selling out' themselves or are 'posers', as some idiots on Old School trenches seems to call others). The sonority fits on their songs, so one can have the best of their music.

The album shows a band that has its roots on the past, but that seems to look to the future, and they have guts to make things in their own way. And one can check how they're good on songs as "I.N.R.I." (excellent 'warriorian' guitar riffs, with many very good passages and Old School ambiences), "Kiss in the Gethsemane" (some slow parts are really catchy, and allows the fans to check how good is the playing of bass guitar and drums), "La Irà de Dios" (this one is filled with the hooking clichés known of the German Black/Thrash Metal scene, and the vocals are fitting in a great way), "La Dame du Christ" (the one that shows clearly the Hardcore influence and energy that the genre bears, with very good screams and catchy guitars), "The Garden of Delights-Temptation" (these slow tempos and adornments of keyboards are amazing, increasing the morbid aura of the song, with very good female opera vocals), and their own version for "Let's Dance", a hit song of David Bowie, here in a more aggressive and abrasive version (David would be proud of it), and show the importance of David Bowie's music to Metal scene.

"Infernalia" is only their second album, but it means that they still have a lot to show to the fans. So enjoy this excellent offering given by KRYPTONOMICON.