We’ve written about the ties between metal and science fiction numerous times. Out of those ideas, one of the main shared themes of the two genres which emerges is “coldness”, the coldness of space most often. To convey that coldness, many sub-genres of metal can be utilized but black metal is often the most appropriate. Something about the shrill, abrasive, and stark nature of black metal just gels very well with a certain oppressive, nihilist view on outer space; it’s not hard to figure out why. Omega Infinity are very much an example of this natural overlap between black metal and the bleak void. The band, made up of Tentakel P. (TODTGELICHTER) and Xenoyr (NE OBLIVISCARIS), play a sort of chilling, unrelenting black metal spliced with electronic tones and ambience. Now, they are gearing up for their debut release, Solar Spectre, out on March 27th. It’s a powerful and evocative journey into the fields of our uncaring, silent solar system and all it might hold for frail, human minds.
The fundamental inhuman and harrowing sounds of black metal are bolstered by these electronic underpinnings and distorted through ambient passages filled with ominous monologues. All of these can be heard on the leading single from the album, “Mars”. It starts off with those furious blastbeats, backed up by Xenoyr’s impossibly powerful growls and screams, further backed up by C.Kolf (VALBORG, OWL, GRUENEWALD). One guitar track, backed up by the bass, churns out countless fuzzy notes while two others etch more grandiose tones above it. But then things change a bit, as most of the music falls away to let the guitar sound out a pulse awash in a more synth-like, mechanical tone. Everything comes together to create a sense of technological aggression, a sci-fi sheen to a bleak, black metal blade aimed straight at your heart.
These themes are further amplified near the track’s close, as a more ambient passage places deep throated clean vocals in the center of the action. More industrial notes and static are also added in, completing the stark and futuristic feeling of the track. Solar Spectre itself, as an album, picks up on these elements and channels them in many different direction while constantly returning to the core of blistering, fast, and grandiose black metal which makes it tick. It’s a challenging album; while the run-time is not as long as other releases in the genre, it’s a dense release. The end result is an ambitious, intricate, and powerful black metal release which should turn this project from “just” a side project into an entity in its own right.