This week, I had the opportunity to check out the latest release from German death metal group Obscure Infinity, titled Perpetual Descending Into Nothingness. Naturally, I jumped at this opportunity, because, well…death metal. And because Germany. Full disclosure off the top, though: I had no prior experience listening to this band, and I didn’t get a chance look back at the two previous full-length albums they’ve released since forming in 2007. Yes, this is partly because Spotify didn’t hook me up, (DAMMIT, SPOTIFY, YOU HAD ONE JOB) but no matter: I listened to this with fresh ears and overall, I was not disappointed.
I gotta start by picking on these guys just a bit. For one, grammar. Perpetual Descending Into Nothingness? How about “Perpetual Descent Into Nothingness” or “Perpetually Descending Into Nothingness”? Not to mention that there’s a song on this album called “Uttermost Descent.” Maybe try “Utmost Descent”? I don’t know, just saying. This is material I can’t ignore…although I do rather lovably hate it. It’s fine, though, because Europe. Secondly, the introduction track, “Entering the Hall of Eternity (Intro),” is ferociously awkward. Ultimately, I guess I can forgive it, but…it kind of feels like a failed attempt at Carcass’ “1985.”
All that being covered, how about the rest of the actual music? I’ll be fair, I didn’t have the highest expectations for this album. I didn’t think it would be bad, but…death metal being the easily-watered-down genre that it is, I assumed this wouldn’t do a ton for me. But I was wrong. This album does a phenomenal job of fusing some of the subgenres within death metal. Every song has a familiar aggression to it, but it’s all layered nicely with a Hypocrisy-esque melodic element. “Expiration of the Lost” and “From Odium and Disease” immediately come to mind—these songs are intensely colorful and resonate as you work through them.
Adding to that, the musicianship is impressive across the board. The riffs are catchy, the percussion is relentless, and the solos are clean and well-articulated. Certain sections even show off some technical death metal influences, as the band blends tremolo-picked shred stylings with a more melodic side. The sound is catchy enough to grab your attention and interesting enough to hang onto it. Yes, after a while it does all seem to lack a distinct direction, but that doesn’t cancel out my appreciation for the different elements Obscure Infinity brings to the table. To this point, the highlight track for me is the closer, “Beyond Spheres and Times.” At almost eight minutes in length, this song pushes the envelope more than any other. The transitions are abrupt, but logical; the verses are catchy to the point where you feel an urge to get up and move. But the song becomes incredibly ominous in its closing—the vocals take a piercing turn, spitting straight pain into the listeners’ ears. It’s an extremely dynamic track that rounds off the album very nicely.
What I appreciate most, however, is the construction of the songs. We don’t see much of your standard verse-chorus-verse-chorus song structures on Perpetual Descending; these songs are a bit more progressive in their architecture, which really helps set the album apart. Look at “A Forlorn Wanderer” or “Sorcery of Black Souls,” for example—the latter portions of these songs slow down dramatically, and replace their aggression with an emotionally driven darkness and symphonic ambiance, complete with sorrowful clean vocals. It’s powerful and it’s awesome.
Perpetual Descending Into Nothingness provides a darker, more somber environment than some of its death metal counterparts, but never strays far from its backbone of pure aggression. It may not break ground in any new direction, but Obscure Infinity have found a nice niche for themselves. I have no idea where this album will land on my radar at the end of the year. But for now, it certainly proved to be a worthwhile listen.
“Ein Bier… bitte.”
– Corey
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