A metalhead from Italy named Claudio Ravinale created INFERNALIZER and he is releasing his second full album After Dark in 2023 after his debut album The Ugly Truth from 2021. The approach is a little different from regular metal bands as there are no band members at all to credit. It seems that all the instrumental musical parts are performed by his friend Neroargento leaving Claudio with the lyrics. Despite being different, having 2 members in a band is not uncommon as we know many bands with the same outfit like WHITE STRIPES and NINE INCH NAILS. The difference is that usually the second band member will get the same coverage as the other “main” band member, and also participate in live concerts. From what I understand, this is not the case here. INFERNALIZER has musicians in a rotation for live performances and the role of Neroargento is more in the background as a composer, performer and producer. Let’s check what they got to offer.

The first tune is a short instrumental called “Season Of The Witch”. It is ok… Not much to comment on short instrumentals. We have another one closing the album as well and the idea, according to Claudio Ravinale, is just like the opening and closing themes of a movie. I hope the movie is good. “The Dark” is the actual first song of the album and starts with a strange low and creepy vocal register reminding me if Dracula could sing, it would be more or less the same. The voice gets into a slightly higher register for the chorus (?) but the general output on this song did not impress me much. We follow with “What Did You Expect”. The band leans a lot on the style of bands that are not necessarily metal like SISTERS OF MERCY, and then adding some heavier guitars and risp vocals to the mix. Good tune but lacks a little in regards to mood changes and instrumental prowess.

“Moon Of Blood” is next and is a little better on the metal part that was missing. The vocals start to show up more and Claudio Ravinale has a good instrument on his throat despite being limited in range. The instrumental parts are fit for purpose and well performed, but I believe no one can deny that it could be better with more musicians in the mix with new and different ideas perhaps. We reach half way with the track that gives the album title “After Dark”. The vocal comes again with a lower dracula register, almost like a narration of a horror tale, and the singing comes on the chorus. Same formula as before and not much creativity here. Nicer instrumental parts with even a modest guitar solo, but nothing impressive. “What We Do In The Shadows” is the title of the next song and also the title of a Taika Waititi comedy movie about vampires that I love. Another simple guitar solo on this one but the rest of the song does not impress much as well. There is nothing that grabbed my attention so far.

We follow with “Death Wish” with a little more interesting instrumental introduction and guitar riffage. I am still struggling with the vocals, however, I believe the lower range vocals are ok, but not convincing. I rather prefer the higher register on the chorus that sometimes reminds me of MARYLIN MASON. “This Is My Yard” starts with another good instrumental with a dueling bass and guitar in the introduction. But the remaining remains the same as the others. Lower voice register  with higher vocals in the chorus. I think I am understanding this band a little better and I do not want to rush into conclusions yet. It seems that they are much more to the side of bands like SISTERS OF MERCY and THE MISSION than heavier bands like GHOST or LORDI. We get close to the end with “Falling In Snow” and we have an uncredited good female singer in the chorus for a change. With different moods and an interesting melody sung by the mysterious lady, for me this song is the best of the album so far. This is the song that feels more complete overall as it escapes from the usual formula of lower Dracula vocals on the verses and higher screams on the chorus. The mysterious lady adds a nice melodic touch to this tune.

 The last tune is “Sky Burial”. Another “instrumental” that is a little better than the one in the beginning of the album. It could fit in a sci-fi movie perfectly but it does not add much to the album. I do understand how difficult working with a full band with guitar, bass and drum players may be. It becomes a little harder to get to the final product as there will be inputs from everybody in the band. We also know how guitar players can become little bitches sometimes with their solos and their moments to shine. If all the members of the band are not in fine tuning regarding their objectives, making an album can become a nightmare. That is the reason why most bands will have 1 or 2 members with the final word, otherwise nothing gets done. On the other hand, I believe this conflict of interests between musicians in a band can also be very helpful as this will generate different styles of songs, melodies and moods that for me, are essential in every good metal album. Bands with 2 members can also accomplish this as long as the 2 members are very creative and able to deliver the goods in an impressive way. Good effort on this album, but with a lot to evolve and explore still.