BETO VAZQUEZ'S INFINITY is an Argentinian band that spans multiple genres and uses a large number of guest musicians. With a combination of Melodic, Symphonic and Power Metal at the core, they also get into a bit of thrash and speed metal. Mental Asylum, their seventh full-length release, was issues on BVM Records on November 27, 2021.

The album begins with the title track, "Mental Asylum," a song that starts with some eerie vocalizations that sound filtered through a computer. As a 48 second intro, it sets the stage well for "Isolation," a heavy track with a really nice bass line under that riff. The keys are frenzied and add a lot of dimensions to the track. The layered vocals with the growls under the clean sounds of Melani Hess is quite good.

"Hunger For Destruction" almost feels like an older DREAM THEATER song at the start, but quickly ventures into new territory once the main riff kicks in. Here, the male vocals take the lead. Staying relatively clean, though adding in some distortion and a little fry vocal here and there, gives the song a darker tone.

"Chaotic Darkness" opens with a what sounds like a wind-up toy and then a piano that leads to an almost amusement park riff and keyboard section. That is a pretty cool intro and gives way to a decent song where we hear the female vocals go way into her head voice and the male vocals really contrasting with some brutal growls. There is some serious tension in this song, but with a title like "Chaotic Darkness," would you expect anything else? We also get some distortion in the female vocals, giving way to an even more profound shift in tones.

Moving down to "Life Is Illusion," we get a more melodic song. The riff is not as heavy and the vocals are rough, rather than growled. This is closer to a classic hard rock song and is done really well. There is a lot of excellent talent on this record and in this song specifically. That Jon Lord style keyboard solo is reminiscent of some of the best classic rock I've known. There is a definite DEEP PURPLE feel to this song and I'm here for it!

The record closes with the reason mental asylums exist, "Insanity." The intro is dark and haunting. The guitars and keyboards really play off each other a lot here. The layered vocals add a feel of madness to the song, giving it a bit of its' own craziness. The guitars feel out of synch in some areas, highlighting that madness. That is obviously intentional, and it fits the song beautifully. This is a great song to wrap up the album.

No strangers to the scene BETO VAZQUEZ'S INFINITY have been around since 2000 and that show in the way the music is written. These are no beginners trying to decide how they want to sound. This is a seasoned band of world class musicians who know how to play complex songs written with power and purpose in mind. Overall, this is a really good record that deserves the attention it will inevitably garner.