When I was first enticed into the ranks of the Goat Review, I did not envisage myself specializing in German black metal and one person bands. Yet whenever I take a deep dive to try and find something less talked about to bring to people’s attentions, this is where I seem to end up. There is no reason I can offer but coincidence but there is a commonality. These acts are all gifted at evoking an emotion. One man German black metal band Infestus and its latest release, Entzweiung, is no exception. The emotion is revulsion.
Entzweiung is a mix of black metal and post metal that seeks to find the grandest, coldest ideas from both. The word “brooding” springs to mind repeatedly. The result is a set of songs that gradually but surely build into soul-scraping fury. Infestus avoid falling into the pitfalls usually associated with such music. The songs are long — only the interludes are under seven minutes — but never slow or dull. The musicianship is sharp, from the frail piano melodies to the cutting guitar solos. The drum fills in particular caught my attention and I wasn’t surprised to learn that mastermind Andras has been a drummer in other projects. There’s an angular nature to the rhythms that isn’t typical of black metal at all. There’s also an atypical catchiness to the music that sometimes verges on black ‘n roll. The irresistible comparison for this mix of dark raw emotion and energetic take on black metal is Shining. Entzweiung isn’t quite as good as Kvarforth‘s best but it’s not far off.
I have read that Entzweiung‘s concept is the inherently opposing forces inside Andras himself. I read it and nodded. Entzweiung is indeed the sound of a man whose impulses are at war with each other. Brutal, nasty, occasionally hauntingly beautiful. That is also the sound of some fine music that’s still compelling after multiple listens. This was my discovery of Infestus but I can assure you, I’ll continue delving into their darkness after that.
