Infinite Universe Infinite Death
Journey Into Darkness
•
September 21, 2021
JOURNEY INTO DARKNESS has just released an absolute banger of a symphonic black metal album in "Infinite Universe Infinite Death". Brett Clarin of classic death metal band SORROW fame has created a cosmically malignant orchestral annihilation of the universe in this epic masterpiece. I can literally feel the walls of creation closing in upon me as I'm being barraged with blast beats and stringed instruments. The dynamic vocal style of black and death metal vocals really sets this music apart from most other symphonic black metal acts.
The album doesn't hesitate to smack you square in the face with an assault of tremolo picking and aggressive percussion with the track "Leave This Place". The lyrics conjure up feelings of utter misanthropy where one would desire to leave the entire galaxy because of the disgust of humanity. This would be the perfect song for some intergalactic joyriding. The chorus has an addictively catchy rhythm to it, and you will find yourself unconsciously headbanging amongst the dust of destroyed nebulae.
"Infinite Disillusion" continues the audio onslaught with some mind-bending time signature changes that will leave you questioning your own perceptions of reality. The lyrical content further entails about the flaws of the universe and misgivings of mankind and existence in itself really. After a little rest in the middle of the song it comes back in full force with string stabs syncopating on the high notes further driving the rhythm into the crushingly dark verse. The vocal timing and harsh harmonies of the contrasting styles really is the cherry on top of a well written composition. I really love the chord progressions which are not your run of the mill predictable black metal fare but are novel sounding and give that spacey vibe.
My favorite song on the album is "Entanglement". It starts off as a foreboding waltz of despair and quickly devolves into a cacophony of sound perfectly capturing the futility and inherent suffering of life as described in the lyrics. The transitions between time signatures are so seamless and flow so well that you can't help but get carried away by the music. Towards the second half the drums pound out a groovy beat somewhat reminiscent of an old school death metal track which is likely why I'm so fond of it. Screams strongly emphasize the down beat which sends the headbangability off the charts. It's a well-executed piece of art and there's nothing that I don't love about it.
Throughout "Infinite Universe Infinite Death" there are brief instrumental tracks which provide a well-timed palette cleanser and lead up into the other songs. The title track is such a song and does well to illustrate the grand and majestic concepts presented. The arrangement is very well produced, and you can audibly pick out each section of the orchestra. Accompanying the classical instruments are the distorted guitars and drums which blend congruently along the sonic landscape. It's a tough act to pull off in mixing as the guitars sometimes overwhelm the subtle aspects of the clean timbre of clean instruments.
All in all, JOURNEY INTO DARKNESS delivers a very well thought out and original addition to symphonic black metal and it would be a tragedy for a fan of such a genre to go without giving it a spin. I promise you there are ideas and concepts within it that you WILL NOT hear anywhere else.
9 / 10
Almost Perfect
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"Infinite Universe Infinite Death" Track-listing:
1. Leave This Place
2. Infinite Disillusion
3. Scattered Amongst the Stars
4. Cosmic Knot
5. Impossible Universe
6. Infinite Universe, Infinite Death
7. The Briefest Moment
8. Entanglement
9. Infinite Universe, Infinite Death (Arranged)
Journey Into Darkness Lineup:
Brett Clarin - All Instruments
Jei Doublerice - Session Vocals
More results...