AN NCS PREMIERE (AND A REVIEW): INFINITE DEATH — “IN DESPAIR”

 

Almost exactly two years ago I came across a debut EP named Beyond the Gates by a Southern California band named Infinite Death, and spilled some words about it here. Infinite Death have now completed work on a follow-up EP called The Endless Suffering, and today we’re bringing you the premiere of the EP’s second single, “In Despair“.

Infinite Death make no bones about the fact that they’re inspired by Gothenberg-style melodic death metal, and for fans (like me) of that distinctive, Swedish brand of metal, The Endless Suffering will be a welcome dose of well-executed, high-energy extremity.

 

photo by John Anthony Haddad

The songs combine a lot of flashy fretwork and gymnastic drumming with plenty of melodic hooks, and the raw, howling vocals of frontman Hex Ramirez add an extra element of ferocity to these full-throttle romps.

The guitar duo of Josh Palomar and Rose Deocampo turn out a changing array of riffs that gallop, dart, jab, and groove, and Palomar adds fluid solos to the songs that range from the soulful to the searing. The band also segment the EP with a beautiful, rainy-day acoustic guitar instrumental backed by the sound of strings. It’s a somber and serene break in an otherwise hard-driving, but dynamically paced, collection of tracks.

The EP’s clarity of production gives all the performers a chance to shine, with Wolfgang Knauf’s nimble bass notes an enlivening presence, often surfacing in harmony with the guitars, and Brian Gettman’s dynamic drumming keeping this well-oiled machine on course while adding an extra element of variety.

The Endless Suffering features painted cover art by John Anthony Haddad, and it will be released later this spring (I’ll update this post when I find out the exact release date and how to acquire the music). Here’s the track list:

1. VENOMOUS
2. CARNAGE UNLEASHED
3. IN DESPAIR
4. BY NIGHTFALL
5. DEMONIC ARRIVAL
6. THE ENDLESS SUFFERING

Listen to “In Despair” below, and we’re also including a stream of the first single from the EP, “Venomous”.

https://www.facebook.com/InfiniteDeath.Ca/
https://infinitedeath2016.bandcamp.com/releases