Inflabitan – Intrinsic
Band: Inflabitan
Title: Intrinsic
Label: Soulseller Records
Release Date: 26 February 2021
Country: Norway
Format reviewed: High-quality Digital Recording
It was 1993 in Norway when metal artist ‘Inflabitan’ (also of Strid) formed his one-man eponymous band. During the band’s initial two years Inflabitan released a couple of demos before ceasing action and going on a decades long hiatus. Now, twenty eight years later, the act has released a powerful and surprising debut full-length album “Intrinsic”.
Band founder ‘Inflabitan’ handles guitar, bass and vocal duties, while the drums are in the masterful hands of AntiChristian (Tsjuder, Beaten to Death, and The Cumshots).
Inflabitan is classified as a black metal act, however it wouldn’t do the work any favours to confine it to such strict parameters. This album is full of surprises and breaks away from the norms of any one sub-genre. The overall atmosphere of the album is quite unlike what you may have come to expect from a Norwegian black metal act, especially one with it’s roots in the early nineties. Technically it’s dynamite, and at times feels very much tech-deathy with many complex and sophisticated arrangements. Other moments fire off with the rapid speed and energy more commonly found in blackened thrash.
The guitar throughout the album is bold and energetic with catchy riffing and extravagant tremolo work. The themes throughout the album are thick with bile, hostility and hatred and the vocals are heaved forth with a visceral madness, which adds a unique and refreshing layer to the work. The production is well balanced and manages a quality result while preserving some of the old school raw feeling.
“Mental Radiation Fix” is a stand out for me, and it’s thrashy-black assault provides a swift and punchy opening to the album. This track has chainsaw riffing and commanding drums which periodically switch to more cruel and burdensome slower paced sections. I have to say that the punctuation by interchanging tempos within the tracks is truly exciting. “Introvert Vile Domain” was another hard hitting track that instantly impacted me with it’s rabid riffing and exciting mix of tempos.
I went into this review expecting a pretty standard Norwegian black metal experience and I have walked away excited and enriched by the creative diversity exhibited by Inflabitan. “Instrinsic” is a phenomenal debut, it breaks the rules, separates itself from the pack and should provide something to satisfy even the most extreme metal rebel. 8.5/10 Proua Metallist
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8.5/10 To Greatness and Glory!
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