 Cover art by Andrzej Masianis |
On Desolate Unknown, the follow-up to Infera Bruo’s excellent self-titled album, the experimentation is turned down slightly (or maybe sideways would be a better term for it); it seems closer to the second and third waves rather than the usual USBM “we can do whatever we want” bent. Also the production is much improved, and I don’t have to crank the volume up to 10 just so I can hear the intricacies of it.
In a general sense, the vocals and instruments sound the same as they did previously. There is a greater sense of clarity, despite the buzzy nature of the guitar parts and the overwhelming power of the drums. The vocals remain a harsh rasp that reminds of Ihsahn and there are occasional clean vocals which are considerably more melodic.
The first two tracks are quite good. and in a way, they’re exactly what I was expecting from the second album as a whole; the sense of immediacy and boundless energy is what I want to hear. The first of two segues follows; although neither has much musical content, I think they are important to showcase other parts of the band’s vision.
Two tracks follow that exhibit the curveballs I was expecting. “Ritual Within” starts off with a slow and doomy descending riff that is repeated (perhaps too) liberally throughout. One thing I like is the solo, which comes around twelve minutes in and closes the song out on a high note. “Dust of Stars” has some harmonized tremolo lines that I thought were a nice touch.
I missed the presence of a killer and undeniable riff like in the previous release’s closing track, but Desolate Unknown is a solid follow-up and should expand Infera Bruo’s fanbase.
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