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Infera Bruo is a black metal band from Massachusetts. I first became of aware them while reading Autothrall’s excellent review of their initial release. At just over 33 minutes, I would be inclined to classify it as a long EP, though it is listed as a full-length on the Metal Archives.
The band inhabits an interesting stylistic middle ground in USBM. All of the hallmarks of are present; there are the rasped vocals (which are quite similar to those of Ihsahn), the tremolo-picked guitar lines, and plenty of blast beats. But then there are sections which exemplify something different. In this way, Infera Bruo reaches beyond their chosen sub-genre much like Autolatry (who are also from New England) and Ludicra.
When I hear the gallop riff that literally comes from nowhere in “A Path Unwritten” or the engaging outros of the two tracks that precede it, I know that something deeper is at work here. Speaking of those outros, “Upon Stone” ends with a fairly straightforward rock section, and “A Code of Will” slows the pace considerably, becoming quite doomy.
The highlights are at the front and back, however. “The Devil’s Eyes” incorporates clean vocals to great effect, expressing varied emotions that are not usually heard or expressed in such a way. Most importantly, there is no trace of oversinging; the expression of emotion doesn’t trump the rest of the elements at play. “A Path Unwritten” starts (and ends) with an epic-sounding riff that is almost pretty (especially when restated in the last seconds of the song on a lone clean guitar) and then breaks out the aforementioned gallop riff while a chaotic solo erupts.
As much as I appreciate this release, I look forward to seeing what this band can do. Infera Bruo seems like a jumping-off point that is indicative of any number of directions the band could explore.
[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]