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Hey! Listen to Infirmos!

Just in case, for some reason, you were worried that the traditional heavy metal revival wouldn’t make it into 2020, I’m here to assuage your concerns. Your balm

4 years ago

Just in case, for some reason, you were worried that the traditional heavy metal revival wouldn’t make it into 2020, I’m here to assuage your concerns. Your balm comes in the form of Infirmos and their debut, demo release from last week, simply titled 2020. On it, the Idaho native band play a blend of traditional doom metal and power metal, creating a powerful mixture of both into a promising first release. Something about the demo format works really well, setting the stage for the raw and intimate vibe on this album. Hopefully this leads to a broader career, as there’s plenty of promise nascent in these four tracks. Head on down below for your first taste!

“Memento Mori” does a really good job in setting the stage for what Infirmos are all about, namely fast riffs, great solos, and vocals which conjure Pentagram more than any “classic” power metal band. Especially worth noting are the guitars and their seemingly effortless work on the numerous solos and technical bridges near the end of the track. They set the stage really well for an explosive follow up but Infirmos are cleverer than that: the following “The Pale” is an almost entirely acoustic track, channeling the folk side of trad doom and power metal into an evocative work which undercuts your expectations in a pleasing way.

Have no fear though; “King of the Dead” which follows it goes right back to the more action packed and direct riffs you heard on the first track. Over all, 2020 definitely has some spots where it needs to be tighter. In general the sound feels a bit “loose”, like the instruments don’t completely mesh together at times, and some of the drum interactions with the rest of the band leave something to be desired. But as a first statement, it is a powerful one which shows that this Idaho band have what it takes to make some great music. Hopefully they continue to work on what makes them tick as a band and come back soon with an even more powerful offering! Oh, and make sure you listen all the way because the last track, “Tusked Terror”, has what is probably the best riff on the release.

Eden Kupermintz

Published 4 years ago