Review
Harm.us
14.12.2008

Sanctus Infernum is a new signing of BadMoodMan music, a sublabel of Solitude Productions, and this is their debut album. The style they are into is not easy to be described. The first impression is that they are into death metal but with such a slow tempo in most of the songs and so many doom metal influences things get a little bit complicated. They are not a doom/death metal band but they combine death and doom metal in a very original way! I know this sounds weird but it also sounds good. Listen to “God Unto Myself” and you have a great Candlemass meet Black Sabbath song. On the other hand “What Calm Is Without Storm” may remind you of an early Amorphis song or even a non-so death metal version of Vital Remains!

We shouldn’t focus on the style of the band but on the great sound they have. I like music i cannot easily describe. Down-tempo songs with death metal feeling and doom structure is a great combination. If you add and the great solos by Mark Anderson (ex-guitar player of Manilla Road, one of the best epic metal bands ever) then you have a killer result! From the 8 songs of this album the highlighted ones are “God Unto Myself” and the amazing “The Journey Back”.

Very interesting debut album and a very interesting combination of metal genres that comes in a very nice package with a 12 paged booklet and a very good production. Highly recommended release!

Author: Bleeding

Review
Chris Davison
9.9/10
August 2008

If i look at the cover of Sanctus Infernum’s debut material, i don’t know what come to the mind of others, but it reminds me of iSiS, Mastodon and the alike artistic monstrums. And let’s face it, it doesn’t mislead us, since in their genre’s borders the mixture of doom and depth own a fancy box, to which added black and death metal elements creats the real motherfucking, meat-stripping, hook metal, with which they’re moving our short-tailed friends in the cold storage. The american band formed in 2006, and for me three unknown team’s names emerges in the biographycal details: Grand Facade (which is theoretically a melodical death metal), Manilla Road (epic heavy/power/thrash) and Chapel of the Eye, which was a doom brigade, and existed only for one demo. I can’t get enough of the cover (Jumali Katani) and the booklet (Sergey Terentiev), it isn’t something unique, only a nice PS work, but it’s stylish, it has deeper thoughts and the design isn’t a hasty work, rather a worked out conception, and this is the word, which came to my mind numerously as a feeling through the muscular and mammoth (how suprising, heh? haha) kind of sounding album. The only negative thing is the logo, this symetrical thing with those flames is tremendously bad, or it doesn’t fit, if it winked back from a cover of a motorbike lover deatn’n'roll crew or from a stooner brigade, then i would understand the feeling, but this 45 minutes are not really about parties, beer, sex, girls and drugs and the joy of speed…

They define themselves on their myspace page as Death Metal / Down-tempo / Black Metal… well, as i see they are not completely clear with the meaning of down-tempo, and they do not have any common with trip-hop slowed down experimentals overstepped by the hypnotical self-repeating clacking ambient, but all right! Let’s see, what can i bring out from them!

First of all the reception and interpretation are not an easy task, it isn’t that cd, which gives itself for the first listening, that’ why the names of Mastodon or iSiS were effective at the beginning of my article, but like that i could mention the symbol of Neurosis or Pelican too (however the latter brouth itself to the end with its last album, it was a pity hearing-listening). This 45 minutes actually goes along the meaning of classical doom death strikes, hooks on strange black influences, with old-school kind of stooner solos (actually these are the part of doom), and again with not common acoustical breakdowns, and varyfied the only breathing melancholy with monumental movements, which are typical in the above mentioned bands. At numerous places old school doom and death metal spheres descend from twenty years depth, and request us for circulating dance ritual, but the point of perception is in death, as the lyrics are not about the flower collecting Katinka, neither the caring father. To the deep feelings, personal lyrics and abysmal music are the most fitting, and there is no lack in this here!

I’ve got a feeling, that they sell the past tasty wine as something new, deepen it with spices, but not in a new arty/kitschy suit. Certainly, that also belongs to the truth, while Neurosis hides huge musicians in itself, till then Sanctus Infernum’s strenght is not in the specialized knowledge, but it’s not a wrecked ship, because not the knowledge is the goal, rather the depth and vegetative feelings brought up from the past. One song flows into the other, painting a terrify, majestic and heavy picture of the recent past and the world before birth, they suprisingly do not think of future. After this much of ballast it wouldn’t make any sense. One of my friend said not long ago, that he commited suicide at night in his dream, and death was just like when long ago we sniffed together glue.

This dissonant floating and joy of consciousness could close into a box in the side of feelings the circus of the american band unmatched deviance: the dark croaking-rattling vocals full of hatred and the depressive slow rumbling, which are pressed out from the drums and guitars. I do not claim, that Sanctus Infernum would put down something huge and unique to that table, but it’s adequatly abundant and artistical, thus we can’t eat it on one dinner, and until other band only give us crumbs, here we find 2 kilos of bread on the table with a knife in its head…

Автор: Zoltan Pataki

Review
Life 4 Metal
10.2008

Well, this is a turn up for the books! Solitude Productions, that bastion of Eastern European doom / death unleash this, an American band onto the metal markets! From the none-more diabolic hotbed of…erm…Kansas, come the unique sounds of Sanctus Infernum. I’m going to say right from the beginning that I am going to be raving about this, because it reminds me of the best parts of one of the most revered heavy metal bands of all time, but they’re also practically ploughing an unfurrowed path. Confused? You will be…

In a sense, this brave four piece defy genre conventions. My first inclination is to say that they are a death metal band, but they’re a death metal band that play extremely slowly. Now, the more pernickety amoung you will be raising an inquisitorial finger, and pronouncing, “Aha! Doom / Death then?”. No. This is not some lace-lined, hanky-weeping gothic nonsense. This retains all the malice, spite and occult feel of all the best early death metal, but slowed down to an insane, warped pace. OK. Here’s where I make the reference to the old death metal band. Actually, what I’m going to reference is the chourus to Morbid Angel’s “Blessed Are The Sick”. You remember how sick, how fucking wrong that sounded? I can remember thinking that was the true sound of a band that had somehow invoked the old ones, in all their warped un-glory. Sanctus Infernum have produced an entire album that drags this strange, skewed, downright nasty sound from you speakers.

The guitars are dredging up dirty, mangled riffs from the most brackish musical swamps, while the drums produce a dread inspiring, constant doomy vibe. The bass work ties in tandem with the drums, beating the rhythm of a blackened heart. Best of all though, are the delightfully mental death vocals of Ricky Vannatta. They seem to be the human vocalisations of an animal, channelling the beyond via his vocal chords. The pacing and production of the album is bloody brilliant – it’s a thick, gravelly, unkempt record that seems hend hewn from some kind of diabolic granite. I honestly can’t get enough of it. Slow death metal is the past. Slow death metal is the future. Viva Sanctus Infernum.

Author: Chris Davison

Review
Blackbelle Music
04.2008

Doom/death metal outfit Sanctus Infernum from Wichita, Kansas USA certainly subscribe to the Black Sabbath school of riffery with plenty of Iommi inspired mammoth grooves crawling through the eight tracks on this full length self titled album, their debut.

Basically the ensemble of Mark Anderson-guitars, Ricky Vannatta-vocals, Chris Johnson-drums and Ian Rowley-bass are death metal somewhere between the sound of Swedish masters Entombed and earlier American entities, as opposed to much of the cookie cutter generic death being spat out at an alarming rate of mediocrity these days, though very prominent doom influences invoking the spirits of Sabbath and the likes of Candlemass saturate the majority of the material.

Opener ‘Flesh Without Sin’ delves immediately into the doom metal element of Sanctus Infernums music with a thick foreboding guitar laying down a steady menacing march from which the ensuing instrumentation draws life, nourishes and builds.

More death veined riffing and heavy rhythm sections swarm in around this doomy intro as does front man Ricky Vannattas absorbing vocal delivery which in this song is mostly a deep spoken growling series of intonations, in others ranging to a subterranean rumble.

Brain obliterating pace and sheer neck breaking speed is not essentially in abundance here in this track or for that matter any of the material; the influx of doom riffs and pervading influences of doom legends shrouding the work means it walks with a purposeful and malevolent stride rather than bolting along like a greyhound on ketamine.

‘God Unto Myself’ swaggers into being with much the same kind of vibe, a sluggish but sinister slice of guitar swirling into a chunkier beast stomping in on the back of pounding drums.
Here Vannattas voice takes on a classic death metal hue, growling out the sparse but forceful lyrics with a rejection of religious views on perceived ‘divine’ beings in favour of embracing ones self as god.

Like many of the earlier American death metal protagonists, in particular Florida’s Obituary and Death spring to mind Sanctus Infernum are not loathe to colour the material with a vast array of solos and lead breaks.
As I’ve stated innumerable times before and probably will again, solos are generally not my thing at all though I do find them more tolerable and appropriate in a genre like death rather than black which for the most part should just steer clear of them altogether.

However in some of the instances they rear their ugly heads here on the Sanctus Infernum tunes (which is in fact relatively frequently) they sit astonishingly well in their heftier musical surrounds and tie themselves to the backbone of the track nicely.
In particular the first lead break in ‘Flesh Without Sin’ and final track ‘Let It Be So’ don’t elect to spiral off into whining showboating tangents, they are beautifully understated and underpin the rhythm succinctly.

This isn’t the case with all of them, some of these songs would probably benefit from completely stripping the solos away or at least in the case of the tracks featuring more than one lead break (again the aforementioned two tracks fall into this category) losing one of them.

Acoustic moments trail in amongst the heavier grunt, lending a bit of calmer atmosphere, especially evident book ending ‘Let It Be So’ and ten minute behemoth ‘The Journey Back’, but for the majority of the time doom and death dominate and wrestle for supremacy both emerging as dual victors.

The likes of ‘Facing The Black’ have an emphasis on death whilst the sprawling duration and brooding instrumentation of ‘The Journey Back’ sees it nestled more comfortably in doom territory.

As noted the vocals are strictly death but not in any garbled completely inhuman bestial styling, the majority of the lyrics are fully intelligible though by no means do they ever cross into areas of clean singing.

The guitars throughout are crisp and weighty with a big sound, combining well with drums which though never extend into extreme punishing brutality have plenty of depth and a deep bass rumbles amidst it all.

The album has a slick and polished sound and this fairly high gloss quality will probably ensure that it is able to straddle the boundaries between extreme and mainstream metal with relative ease and find a big audience, albeit perhaps more so to the heavier side of mainstream than the MOR hordes.

In this regard Sanctus Infernum does bear resemblance to the vast minions of American death metal outfits in mass proliferation currently but they certainly do it much better than many; I can definitely think of one particular outfit who also have album cover art depicting an animal skull like this which I am far less fond of than Sanctus Infernum.

Those who enjoy a doom meets death metal expedition as interpreted by pioneers and forerunners of both genres given a contemporary refining and an updated sound should be in raptures with Sanctus Infernums well crafted mixture of songs.

Author: Jamie Goforth

Review
Imperiumi
8.5/10
18.09.2008

Manilla Roadin entinen basisti laittaa pystyyn black, death ja doom metalia yhdistelevän bändin, joka saa levytyssopimuksen Venäjältä – kuulostaako varsin oudolta? No, metallin maailmassa kaikki on mahdollista ja niin myös tämäkin tarina. Kyse on Mark Andersonista, joka löysi muutama vuosi sitten Kansasin preerioilta muutamia metallimusiikoita, joiden kanssa Sanctus Infernum sai alkunsa. Kotipesä bändille löytyi taas itänaapurissamme majaa pitävästä BadMoodMan Recordsista, joka on julkaissut muun muassa Kauan- ja Vinterriket-yhtyeitä.

Sanctus Infernum ei ole kuitenkaan huuruista ambientia vaan painavaa asiaa. Levyn raskas ja hidas poljento pohjaa doom metaliin, mutta itse riffeissä ja sovituksissa on vahva kuolonkatku, joka tuo paikoin mieleen Morbid Angelin kierouden, Obituaryn tylyyden tai jopa Goatlordin suomaisen primitiivisyyden. Waking the Dead starttaa taas sellaisella heavygroovella, josta Pantera olisi ollut kateellinen. Koko pakettia verhoaa kuitenkin okkultistinen ja hämäräperäinen aura, joka puskee esille muun muassa God unto Myselfin ”shemhamforash”-huudoista.

Levy onkin kelpoa mylvintää ja raivon repimistä kurjasta ihmissielusta. Vahva ja massiivinen soundimaailma on tuhti tae yhtyeen antaumukselliselle paiskonnalle, joka tosin joskus kaipaisi hidastelun vastapainoksi hieman äkkipikaisempaa tulkintaa. Onneksi tätä puoltakin paikoin esitellään muun muassa panssarivaunun varmuudella etenevässä Sufferissa. Tunnelmapalat taas menevät muutaman virkistävän akustisen hetken ja Andersonin viljelemien kitarasoolojen piikkiin, joista jälkimmäinen onkin maistuva heitto vanhan heavyn suuntaan. Kurkkupuolellakaan ei tarvitse bändin häpeillä, sillä Ricky Vannatan murina on sopivan räkäinen ja täyteläinen, hieman Mikael Åkerfeldtiin kallellaan. Tosin joskus ääntä on efektoitu hieman liiankin kanssa.

Kun tätä levyä on pyöritellyt soittimessa muutamaan otteeseen, huomaa oman pään nyökkäilevän tuomiopäivän kokoisten riffien kanssa vallan mallikkaasti. Vielä pienoisesta tasapaksuudesta on Sanctus Infernumin päästävä eroon, mutta jo tällaisenaan yhtyeellä on käsissään vakuuttava debyytti.

Author: Antti Klemi

Review
Icon Music Mag
8/10

Her kommer noe heavy shit fra Kansas USA. Sanctus Infernum er et, hmm ja, hva skal man kalle det?, Black, doom, death metal band som er ute med sin første skive. På coveret er det noen kråketegn av noen hieroglyfer som er helt uleselige. Velkjent black metal stil, dette lover bra. Fonten er faktisk så uleselig at jeg måtte google før jeg kunne slå fast hva bandet egentlig het.

Albumet åpner sterkt med låta Flesh Without Sin. Dette er stemningspreget, mørkt, brutalt og hardt. Selv om coveret skriker black metal låter det death med knivskarpe gitarer og fuzz fra helvette. Det er nok ingen hemmelighet at disse gutta er Slayer fans. Som jeg sa låter det death på første sporet, men det er noe med stemningen det går sakte det er ”groove”. Det fikk meg til å tenke på en gang jeg og en kamerat satt i øvingslokalet og prøvde å plukke ei Eletric Wizard låt. ”Du spiller for fort, tenk på kake, seig julekake det er sånn det skal spilles! Det er da det er fett” sa kompisen min. Og det er akkurat det Sanctus Infernum gjør det går treigt, det er fett! Det er gjort på en kontrolert og velbalansert måte, doom preget tar på ingen måte overhånd det er bare med på å fylle ut lydbildet.

Jaha tenker du kanskje nå, og får lyst til å sjekke dem ut. Det her låter jo fett, men det er mer, mye mer. For ikke nok med at gutta har fått til en herlig miks av doom og death, her er det også plass til litt black. Flere låter har partier med akustiske gitarer med disharmoniske riff som får det til å gå kaldt nedover ryggen på deg. Da jeg hørte det tenkte jeg straks tilbake på Satyricon før dem blei et mainstream radioband og solgte sjelen sin. Det låter som ”Dark Medival Times” og dette er med på å sette prikken over I’en på noe som allerede er umåtelig bra. Disse gutta har klart å skille ut det beste ved ulike sjangere å sy det sammen til noe nytt og spennende. Det skal bli spennende å se hvor disse gutta er om noen år, for de har absolutt det som skal til. Anbefalte låter Suffer, Let It Be So og Waking The Dead.

Author: Christoffer Holseter

Review
The Metal Obsrver
7.5/10
18.10.2008

If a band’s name determined its fate on the Metal music scene, it is most likely that the musicians of SANCTUS INFERNUM would be among the most renown acts dealing with dark heavy stuff. Unfortunately the way from coming up with a suitable name for a musical group to becoming a respected and appreciated one seems to be at least very long and covering this distance is rather impossible without any remarkable artistic merits. Applying this in the context of the Americans’ first release, I can say that a good step has been taken by them and a decent effort has been done. No giant leaps here, yet a portion of solid guitar load of atmospheric Death/Doom character.

Right, the guitars play here the most vital role and the composition structure of particular songs relies basically on this specific instrument. Its extremely heavy sound – quite obviously making me recall a certain gloomy band from Birmingham which started their big career at the beginning of the 70’s – is the first thing one is going to notice here. Another one is that they are driven in a pretty absorbing, nearly hypnotic way that may at times result in uncontrollable and unintended headbanging. This funereal tempo guitar feast bears moreover some Death Metal feeling, which surely enough also emerges courtesy of Ricky Vannatta’s vocal performance. Apart from some few moments filled with whispered lyrics the guy does not care about sparing his vocal cords delivering the texts by the well known extreme means, a feature that not only absolutely suit this music but also emphasizes the mesmerizing potential lying in the guitar riffs.

What undoubtedly constitutes the highlight of this record is the awesome soloing crowning each of the eight compositions that parenthetically are maintained mainly in slow/mid tempo. Clocking between three or sometimes even more than ten minutes these songs, although not being specially diverse (it regards nearly everything – the pace, the vocals, riff structures and rhythmic section efforts), manage somehow to keep my attention during the whole CD. The third track on the list called “The Journey Back” is coming forward as a stand-out track if we focus on musical variety on “Sanctus Infernum”. Being the longest one it involves – aside from the already mentioned features – an introduction part with singer’s whispers accompanied by acoustic guitar and an outro lasting for more than two minutes based solely on a pleasant guitar dialogue sounding for a moment somewhat exotic actually. Such a similar song structure can be found also in the closing tune “Let It Be So”.

Turning my attention towards the production matters, I can say this album represents the ranks of the rather unpolished and raw ones, with the reservation that selectiveness is preserved. The organic feel of the whole album adds to its value and reminds at the same time about the roots of Metal music.

Whereas SANCTUS INFERNUM are neither offering anything new to the genre nor even making an attempt at doing so, they still have released a record that will remain one of the most solid musical publications this year. Honestly, many a Metal fans, mostly those into Doom genre, should in theory be completely satisfied with experiencing these sounds.

Author: Sebastian

Review
Quintessence
4/6

Sanctus Infernum from Kansas deliver their debut full-length through a label from Russia. I guess that couldn’t be possible say 15 years ago. The world changes, right?
Actually I’m quite glad this album has seen the light of day as this is some proper death/doom metal in the truest sense of the word. Slow, but very heavy riffing done with conviction which leads to songs that invite to bang your head or play air-guitar or at least tap your feet to. Yeah, this is heavy stuff. With the addition of tasteful guitar leads the result is simply great. Nothing really fancy or out of the ordinary this band sticks to being heavy! Due to the vocals I kind of got the idea you can compare Sanctus Infernum a bit to Beyond Belief, but also a band like Lucifer’s Hammer. This self-titled album made such an impression on me that I have to keep myself updated on future releases. Great stuff!

Author: Pim Blankenstein

Review
Hardsounds
7.5/10
17.09.2008

Sebbene prodotti da un label russo, i Sanctus Infernum, qui al loro debutto, provengono dalle grigie e desolate distese del Kansas e vantano tra le loro fila la presenza del chitarrista Mark Anderson, che in passato ha militato nella celeberrima heavy metal band Manilla Road. Certo è che non si parla di battaglie epiche e di cavalieri qui: il sound dell’ossimorica band è un lentissimo e ruvido doom/death metal di stampo classico e con una forte componente black. Facciamo delle necessarie precisazioni: la registrazione è ottimale, così come la scelta dei suoni e la composizione dei brani, davvero colta e ispirata anche se gli appassionati del virtuosismo e della tecnica esasperata farebbero meglio a rivolgersi altrove, così come gli estimatori della registrazione spartana e della struttura armonica approssimativa ma “cult”. Le coordinate stilistiche sono quelle del Doom Death di scuola classica, in pratica i primi Amorphis e in maggior misura gli Incantation. Quindi nessuna grande innovazione stilistica, solo un album suonato e concepito egregiamente, se può bastarvi. I suoni bassi e saturati della chitarra, che segue a ruota la lenta e inesorabile struttura ritmica di basso e batteria. La solistica è uno dei punti più alti dell’album, essendo caratterizzata da un sopraffino gusto compositivo e grandi melodie, e la monumentale “The Journey Back”, lunghissimo brano introdotto e chiuso da bellissimi arpeggi acustici, è la prova che la band è capace di unire in un unico essere un’ottima capacità di creare riff, un gran senso della melodia e passaggi anche piuttosto inusuali. E poi la voce. Il growl bassissimo e sporco di Ricky Vannatta, che incorpora anche elementi black, è quanto di più appropriato e azzeccato ci possa essere per la musica dei Sanctus Infernum. L’elemento Death si fa sentire maggiormente in pezzi come la bella opener “Flesh Without Sin” o “Suffer”. Bella anche l’atmosferica e lunga “Let It Be So”, brano che gravita tra arpeggi e cupe atmosfere cadenzate. In definitiva, non ci troviamo di fronte a un disco che aprirà nuovi orizzonti musicali o che rivoluzionerà quanto già detto finora, piuttosto un bell’album, che piacerà agli appassionati del genere.

Author: Francesco “Crash” La Tegola

Review
Executioner Zine
7.25/10

¿Quién habría dicho unos años atrás que a las bandas americanas las acabarían editando sellos rusos? Sanctus Infernum es un nuevo proyecto que ha montado el señor Mark Anderson (Manilla Road) y donde da rienda suelta a sus inquietudes más extremas.

En este caso tenemos ocho temas de un Doom/Black que me trajo a la mente casi instantáneamente a Candlemass si usasen un vocalista de voz desgarrada y grave, a medio camino entre el registro Death y Black, y con algo más de pesadez en la música. Riffs densos, pegadizos y contundentes, de los que tan famosos han hecho los suecos (o Solitude Aeternus, por no centrarnos en una sola influencia), con ese toque tan característico de melancolía y el pequeño retazo diabólico que siempre está ahí. Y no quiero que esto suene como algo negativo, está claro que son muy parecidos, rozan el plagio en algunos temas (esto se da sobretodo en los primeros, a partir de la mitad se alejan algo de esa influencia), pero al menos están a la altura de los originales.

La diferencia está en la voz, como dije antes, y me imagino que ese punto es el que puede sorprender y, en algunos casos, disgustar, lo cual no ha ocurrido en el mío. Es mejorable, sí, pero pega bastante bien. El tono es profundo pero entendible, bien vocalizado y con feeling, aunque muy frío. Digamos que le da un toque añadido de densidad y oscuridad al conjunto.

Aparte de eso, el trabajo de guitarra es digno de mención, contundente y con el toque justo de melodía y técnica que evitan la monotonía, unos solos épicos bastante buenos y una progresión de riffs que sabe jugar con pocos cambios pero consiguen que no te aburras.

Producción más que correcta, aunque le falta algo que no sé que es, pero vamos, sin pegas, suena bien, y una presentación también correcta. Un CD que no está mal para empezar, pero tendrán que ahondar en su sonido y encontrar como usar esas influencias sin recurrir tan claramente a ellas

Author: Jeroni Sancho

Review
Fobia Zine
7/10
13.10.2008

Kapela pochází z Ameriky, přesněji se toto uskupení podařilo složit v samotném Kancasu. Jak z názvu napovídá, nebudou to žádní hodní pánové. První disk v jejich diskografii nasadil vcelku slušnou laťku a sám si říkám, jestli jí svým dalším zářezem překonají.

Bez intra se jde rovnou na věc a to velmi přímočaře. Deathík v pomalejším tempu s nádechem těžkých a hutných doomových riffů mě nutí k bedlivému poslechu. Nápaditým kytarovým sólem končí první song, který jakoby pokračoval ve stopě číslo dvě. Mohutný pěkně zabarvený chraplák zdobí každou skladbu, ale nejdou se i pasáže, kde je zpěv čistý. Albem se prokoušu celkem rychle, poslech víc než utíká a já jsem nucen přetáčet kotouček pořád dokola. Začátek The Journey Back, která je třetí na albu, patří španělkám a navnadí sluchovody pro nadcházející peklo, které si dává načas a nikam nespěchá. Velmi chytlavé kousky jsou například God Unto Myself
a Suffer, která si mě získala během prvních 10 vteřin. Těžký hutný riff jaký můžeme znát např. od Six Feet Under, se mi dostal rychle pod kůži. Se zbývajícími songy jsem si ujasnil, že nejlepší z desky bude právě Suffer.

Zvuk placky je slušný, působí hodně „heavy“ a dynamicky. Bicí zde mají skvělý zvuk a do kytarových partií šlapou přesně jako hodinky. Složitost muziky hledat nemůžeme a možná právě proto placka působí tak jak působí. Na mě udělali páni z Amariky dojem. Jen tak dál…

Author: Orbb

Review
The Streets
6/10
17.12.2008

Et splitter nytt band fra Wichita, Kansas og de har allerede tilegnet seg et originalt og særegent sound. Medlemmene har erfaring fra andre band, men ingen av slik betydning at de blir kommer med på deres musikalske CV. Det aller første aspektet man legger merke til er vokalen, den er hverken skrikete, kjellermørk, ropete, hvesende eller ren. Den er en slags blanding av raspete growling og black metal-attityde med tydelig diksjon og ligger i mellomsjiktet av hva tonehøyde angår. Jeg kan for alt i verden ikke komme på et band som har lignende vokal og det låter grisefett! Musikken er mid-tempo Death Metal, med mye heftig riffing. Utradisjonell for sjangeren og det er tydelige inspirasjoner fra både Heavy Metal og Doom Metal. Det er mer groove og rock, enn blast og grind for å si det sånn. Lyden er klar og krisp og produksjonen er av typen «rett-i-trynet». Gitaristen i bandet leverer også mye kult på solofronten. På arrangementene mangler det dybde og tekstur og noe mer detaljer hadde gjort seg. Det blir for «tørt» slik ting er nå og at de ikke har brukt den akustiske gitaren mer, er i grunn meget forunderlig. Tempomessig blir det også for ensidig, så de hadde virkelig tjent på å inkludere låter som brøt litt opp og skapte større spenn i låtmaterialet deres. Utover dette er det kun små mangler som hindrer «Sanctus Infernum» fra å være et meget bra album, så det bør absolutt sjekkes ut!

Author: Rune

Review
Pavillion 666
5.5/10
05.10.2008

Semblable à une enclume tombant du haut d’une grue, veuillez recevoir sur le coin du crâne le premier album de Sanctus Infernum. A la manœuvre trois hommes : chant, batterie et basse/guitare. Autant dire que le disque ne donne pas dans le superflu et frappe là où ça fait mal : en pleine tête. Ouille.

A tout ceux pensant que le synthé est un instrument de tarlouze et le chant clair un accessoire pour castra, voilà quelques notes faites rien que pour vous. Un mot pour décrire la musique de Sanctus Infernum : lourde. Avec des compositions variant de pesantes à très pesantes les américains taillent dans une matière particulièrement dense où l’on ne sait plus parfois s’il s’agit de doom aux accents death ou tout simplement d’un death au tempo très ralenti.
Les portes des enfers se sont ouvertes, vaporisant un voile épais de rythmiques au sein duquel se distinguent de très bons solos techniques (« Let it be so »), bref de quoi redensifier un peu le tout au cas où un soupçon de légèreté oserait s’immiscer.
Dans ce magma en fusion, aucune mélodie, si ce n’est en tendant bien l’oreille, sur des intros à la guitare acoustique (dont l’invocation « The journey black »), et encore, qui n’apparaissent que sur deux titres uniquement. Car le trio n’est pas là pour s’amuser ; il règne en effet sur cette réalisation un je ne sais quoi de pas très catholique, fleurant bon le soufre, le chaos et la destruction.
Donc pas de symphonique, ni violon, ni youkoulélé, juste le bruit des os qui éclatent sous la chaleur et la pression du métal du rouleau compresseur. Cependant, à force de trop respirer de souffre, cela fait tousser, à l’image des vocaux à l’étrange timbre gras mais ni assez profonds, ni assez agressifs, et qui en laisseront plus d’un sceptique. En ces temps où le folk règne en maître, Sanctus Infernum semblait être une parenthèse vers un monde plus cataclysmique mais malheureusement, bottes de plomb aux pieds, le groupe s’enfonce dans une masse pachydermique, guidé par une trop grande répétitivité vers le cimetière des éléphants.

Le problème de surpoids de l’Amérique ne serait donc pas une légende ? après la taxe sur les barres chocolatées, à quand celle sur les riffs indigestes ? des mesures sont en tous cas à étudier avant que le problème ne gagne nos contrées.

Author: S.Y.L.

Review
Cruptic Madness
2/6

Sanctus Infernum, c’est la charge de la cavalerie lourde. Pas des purs-sangs, plutôt de gros Percherons un peu patauds. Le groupe joue sur une scène qui emprunte ses décors au Doom, au Death, au Thrash au Heavy, ah oui, et au Black aussi! Il y a là une volonté de sortir des sentiers battus, d’échapper un peu aux dogmes. Très bien. Mais Sanctus Infernum ne fondera pas de nouvelle église ; parce que le résultat est raté. Le niveau technique est bon, les solos, s’ils ne sont jamais originaux (j’irais jusqu’à dire qu’ils sont très anodins) sont bien exécutés ; la rythmique est implacable – en fait, on pourrait dire qu’elle est tellement à sa place qu’on ne l’entend plus. Mais il manque la conviction, l’énergie . Tout tombe un peu à plat. La faute surtout à la voix , une espèce de râle agressif passé au filtre synthétique (il me semble), complètement déshumanisée et blanche, sans variations et sans émotions.

La musique de Sanctus Infernum manque d’éclat, de variété, de pêche, de subtilité. Chaque morceau est construit selon la même structure toujours répétée : on braille, on met les guitares en position « rouleau compresseur », on défonce tout à coup de roulements de batterie frénétiques et de basse grasse et sous- accordée. Il est quasi impossible de distinguer les pistes les unes des autres. C’est ultra basique. On me dirait: “C’est quoi du Metal ?” Eh ben, je pourrais répondre : “Ecoute Sanctus Infernum, c’est ça du Metal”. Dans la forme, c’est brutal, sombre, y a des solos et des bribes de groove (Waking the Dead). Dans le fond, c’est basique, scolaire, archétypal, sans saveur. Ce qui d’une certaine façon, et si on veut être honnête, forme une espèce de personnalité; mais elle ne m’interesse pas!

Que sauver du naufrage ? Quelques arpèges à la guitare accoustique sans doute. Eux seuls contribuent à amener un peu de l’atmosphère que l’on cherche en vain ailleurs, ces quelques notes toujours trop timides viennent parfois éclaircir la boue gluante et on se prend à rêvé à un album plus varié, où les influences si diverses ne serait pas comme fondues ensemble en un magma compact, dépourvu de saillies et qui par conséquent échoue à accrocher l’attention mais bien plus, à une assiette composée, ou chaque ingrédient serait reconnaissable, conserverait sa saveur particulière et, additionné aux autres, produirait des combinaisons inédites et peut-être captivante. Bref, on en est loin.

Author: baphomet

Review
Dark Side
6/10
04.2008

Нет, все-таки менталитет американцев резко отличается от европейского… Сколько уж было сказано про это, но новые доказательства этой аксиомы все появляются и появляются. Очередным из их череды стал дебютный альбом группы из Канзаса (можно сказать, из самого сердца Америки) SANCTUS INFERNUM. Уже первые такты музыки всей своей сущностью утверждают – мы родились в США, нас создали американцы, мы плоть от плоти этой земли и этой культуры. Такая смесь дэт-, блэк- и дум-метал могла возникнуть только в воображении людей, впитавших традиции американской музыки, что называется, с молоком матери. И при этом альбом канзасского трио в достаточной степени оригинален и самобытен, но в рамках, очерченных заокеанской музыкальной традицией. SANCTUS INFERNUM достаточно сложно отнести к какому-то определенному жанру. Музыканты, ведомые гитаристом Марком Андерсоном (поигравшим, между делом, в MANILLA ROAD) играют нечто, что в приблизительном рассмотрении можно охарактеризовать как лоутемповый дэт-метал, но изрядно разбавленный блэк-металлическими интонациями, которые нигде не проявляются открыто, но подспудно пронизывают весь альбом. И дело не в псевдосатанинской лирике, как, например, у DEICIDE или ACHERON, или в какой-то особенной атмосфере, а именно в тонких, трудноуловимых нюансах, которые отличают музыку этой группы от прочих американских дэтстеров. Вот, например, такой трек, как “Suffer” – это действительно дэт с по-флоридски жирными риффами, сочным гроулом, характерной ритм-секцией и классическим соло-запилом в концовке. А практически все остальное – своеобразная балансировка на канате между традиционным американским дэтом и столь же традиционным американским блэком от HAVOHEJ / PROFANATICA. Нечто подобное делали COUNCIL OF THE FALLEN, WITCH-HUNT и некоторые другие заокеанские музыканты. Но Марк и компания пошли еще дальше. Они добавили в свой саунд еще и дум-металлических риффов, которые придают альбому совсем уж своеобразное звучание. Причем, иногда дум-металлическая составляющая выходит на первый план, и если, например, выдернуть песню “Making The Dead” из общего контекста альбома, то мы получим вполне приличный дэт’н’думовый боевик с давящими тяжеленными риффами и эффектным «сэббатовским» соло-проигрышем… И так, весь альбом слушатель вынужден раздваивать и растраивать свое внимание, чтобы поспеть за мыслью музыкантов, путешествуя между смежными стилями. Впрочем, этого вполне можно избежать, если попытаться слушать музыку SANCTUS INFERNUM как цельное произведение и не забивать себе голову всевозможными определениями. Правда, когда все песни звучат пусть чуть-чуть, но по-разному, отстраниться от этого довольно нелегко… Ведь воедино свой пасьянс канзасцы собрали, пожалуй, только в “The Journey Back” – самой длинной и разветвленной композиции на альбоме, в которой можно услышать все стилеобразующие элементы группы и даже немного больше (одно латинское гитарное соло чего стоит). В-общем, любители американского экстремального металла могут найти для себя в этой пластинке много интересного, ну а остальным – пробовать с большой осторожностью.

Author: old man