Infera Bruo – Desolate Unknown | Review

Infera Bruo hail from Boston and have been around for four years or so and released their self-titled debut in 2011 before disappearing into some kind of black metal shaped abyss (possibly) which saw them exit only to update on progress for what would become known as 'Desolate Unknown'. It seems that time away has imbued Infera Bruo with the kind of ambition that makes for truly spectacular results and if the bonkers spaced out trip of album opener “Visions of the Inner Eye” doesn’t grab you by the throat then you’re not worthy of this quartet’s time.

'Desolate Unknown' is a curious and progressive work with hints of Enslaved-esque sound colouring their sound – “Oblivion” – as well as some neatly placed electronic elements that serve to enhance their palette and never clouds the overall feel of the album. It’s a tricky path to navigate but Infera Bruo are entirely confident and the songs on show here are wonderfully cosmic compositions that fly with rage, blissed out beats and more shouting than you can shake a stick at.

“Ritual Within” swings from all out fire to clean/harsh vocal melodies to doomed passages to painful electric pulses and changes more often than is probably necessary but not once does the song suffer from such wild mood fluctuations. Curious acoustic strains infiltrate the track at one point and overlay a crackling spoken word section and this interlude throws Infera Bruo into a new and intelligently lead territory. Off-kilter sound structures permeate “Dust of Stars” and gives the song a tangible weirdness that ebbs and flows throughout with dissonant oddness and boiling rage which continues into “Segue II” (the second of two strange, electronically forced interludes) and final track “Invoking Collapse.” All spacey blips and tugs, the song swerves from one extreme to the other with a passionate and chaotic frenzy that Infera Bruo has a masterful handle on. The interactions between the standard instruments you’d find in black metal and the synthesised lines are seamless as is the interplay of clean/harsh vocal (the clean lines are used sparingly and to great effect) and as such Infera Bruo tread their own, unique path through the wilds of progressive black metal.

Cheryl Carter 

Band info: www.facebook.com/InferaBruo

Besides collaborating with Scratch the Surface, Cheryl Carter also writers for Cvlt Nation, Scene Point Blank, Metal Hammer UK and has her own blog Bleak Metal.  Follow her on Twitter @Cheryl_Prime