From the experience, I learned that we must embrace what is new without leaving what’s good about the past. If you don’t like one band and/or other musical expressions into Metal, just leave it aside and go to support what you like. It’s not a rigid rule I’m telling you to do, but a statement that I learned through my own scars. And it can be said that it’s the formula of making Metal great again, because the more you speak positive of the whole genre (and stop spreading shit as rules), things will improve. Such damage is done every single day on my own country’s scene (Brazil), and maybe it’s happening on other countries as well. All of such words were written to bring you into a broader understanding of things before dealing with “Time”, the new album of INFECTED RAIN, of Moldova.

The musical work that the album bears is a savage and experimental way into new and modern tendencies into Metal, or in other words, an audacious combination between aspects of New Metal, Metalcore, Alternative Metal, Djent Metal and others with an experimental and even Avant-Garde insight, but leaning into some Progressive Metal that means that a melodic tack can be heard in the middle of chaotic creative insight of the band. If one can short things, one would say that such energetic album is full of layers and rich contrasts, as some really catching moments as “Dying Light” will be heard as well. Shortening things even more: this album is really amazing! Dive into it NOW!

Valentin Voluta is the name of the album’s producer (and who did the mixing and mastering as well), and that shared the responsibility of the recordings with Vadim Ojog, Eugeniu Voluta, and Alice Pandini. The album bears a form of Modern Metal sonority (what means that’s abrasive and greasy as well, but worked in a way that made things defined and understandable as well. And Vidick (the band’s guitarist) created a very good artwork for the cover that fits in the band’s musical ways.

Enigmatic as the Sphinx on the old Greek myths, “Time” will demand a lot of attention to be deciphered, but’s not a hard release to like, as depicted by songs as “Because I Let You” (an abrasive moment with many contrasts between chaos New Metal/Metalcore moments with cleaner and introspective parts, always with excellent vocals), “Dying Light” (again the contrasts presented on the previous song are heard, this time with a great melancholic energy boosted by Djent guitar riffs), “Lighthouse” (excellent catching melodies boosted by excellent clean vocals), “The Answer is You” (a sharp Djent/New Metal attack with excellent tempos supported by a solid work from bass guitar and drums that adjusts as changes appear), “Vivarium” (a true apotheosis of contrasts and shifts, but always with an hypnotic outfit), “Pandemonium” (fine keyboards orchestrations can be heard on this one), “Enmity” (a pure New Metal/Djent song with massive weight and aggressiveness, but expect subtle changes), “Unpredictable” (the name says everything about the song), and “Paura”. This album is solid as a rock, heavy and abrasive as a ton of molten steel.

It’s obvious that the self-proclaimed ‘defenders-of-metal’ (the old uncle with a jacket full of patches and buttons that stayed in the 80s) will hate “Time”. But for all of those who don’t care for their speech, the work of INFECTED RAIN will be a great and excellent surprise.