ASPHYXIUM ZINE

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

CD Review: INFERNAL DAMNATION Into The Crevice Of Obliteration

Into The Crevice Of Obliteration
Subgenre Records US
Infernal Damnation hails from California, and bills itself as "Obscure, Unholy Chaos". Their description is a fitting one. The term Old School is one you've probably heard a lot in recent years. Infernal Damnation embodies the Old School mentality, but they have no interest in rehashing old ideas, or revisiting the glory days in any sort of nostalgic sense. The term Old School only fits in this case because the music is sincere, and has heart, or substance even. These days it's easy to rehash the old, but if the substance and sincerity is lacking, basically all you're left with as a listener is a familiar sounding recording that is completely devoid of any life or genuine human elements. These guys aren't rehashing anything, they just choose to approach their music in an old school way as far as their mentality and probably their work ethic. This is a band that is proud of the origins of these styles and proud to be among the underground. They have no interests in chasing any trends (old, new, or otherwise). They simply want to make some heavy, no frills, no bullshit Metal. Into The Crevice Of Obliteration hits that mark, clocks in at a quick 26 minutes, gets in/gets out, and leaves you thirsty for more, while also leaving you satisfied with what you just listened to (or experienced). Some of the most classic or essential bands and albums of the genre have done exactly the same thing. Short, sweet, to the point, and brutal. It's a sure fire recipe for success! Right? Well, it helps...but if the songs aren't there, none of this will matter. I'm not going to compare this release to any of the pillars of the genre, but I will say this band shows a lot of promise and potential, and they know what they want and how they're going to get it. They can write songs, and they understand what makes for a good offering of some Death Metal. They let the songs do the talking. That's something of a lost art these days. It just goes to show all you need is the right mentality and the willingness to create. The rest should be left up to the listener. You don't need a gimmick, you don't need a sales pitch, you just need to focus on making good art. The songs will take care of the rest in most cases. In the case of Infernal Damnation's Into The Crevice Of Damnation, they do exactly that. The band cites many influences from Death Metal to Black Metal, as well as Thrash, and even Punk. This makes it difficult to categorize their music even though it's clearly rooted in classic/old school death metal. This is a good thing, and a rare thing these days, but the band has managed to bring in these added elements and craft their own sound because of it instead of sounding like a mental patient with an identity crisis. My favorite song as of now is Decomposed Hordes. Invocations Of The Dead and the closer, Sabbat, are noteworthy moments too. What I like is that this release comes out swinging right out of the gate, but as the album progresses, it doesn't slow down or hit a peak and flat line. Instead, it's quite the opposite as it seems to pick up even more steam and momentum as the songs unfold. Check this one out, and keep an eye on this band. If you like your Death Metal served from the depths of unholiness and obscurity, chances are you will appreciate this effort. These guys get it. It's about the music. Period. 8 out of 10. -Alan Lisanti

Track list:
1. Demonic Rites
2. Case 666
3. Dominions Obscure
4. Invocations Of The Dead
5. Cast Down Into Hellfire
6. Decomposed Hordes
7. Sabbat

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