The Infinity Ring : "Nemesis & Nativity"

 Swans are one of my favorite bands so when I come across a band that is clearly influenced them it puts me at an odd crossroads. I own all the Swans albums so the need for a tribute band is non-existent. The other side is I do like the familiarity of the sounds, which touch on the darkness I love Swans for invoking. I think things work best when this band leans into sounds that make them not sound like Swans like the more Nick Cave grit to the croon of "Temptress". This sets them apart more but does have the bleak ambiance that is shared ground with Swans. 

"the Valley" has a hypnotic lure to the chords that ring out into the ether. The vocals are low baritone but sit further back in the mix to create more of a trippy lullaby and draw less attention to themselves. "Tiferet II" is more brooding but balanced out by well layered melodies. There is also more of a rock n roll vibe coming from the guitars, that bring more of a Pink Floyd feel to things, which is a welcomed dimension. The guitar tones on this album are really dialed in as evident in the reverbed-out guitars on "Gift of Life". The hushed vocals on this one sound like someone asked Iggy Pop to sound more like Nick Cave. They pack more of a sonic punch with "Lazarus Millennium Sun". This does bring back Swans comparisons, that they managed to doge the past few songs. It works off more of drone but is still very powerful and effective.

There is a similar clamor going on with "Wax & Oil' but it does not work as well as the kind of sonic beating they dished out on the previous song. It is not a dud, but given their track record, more melody might have hooked me in more. They continue the sonic beatings until morale improves. I like how they use samples here even though it does point finger at them being a Swans tribute act. Anatomy of a Habit's new album also borrowed heavily from Swans, but I think it is done much better here. The last song is more solemn, with a hushed darkness cast over it. They reach a better balance of being their own band with this sound. I will round this down to a 9, which still means it's an awesome album, it goes to show if you are going to pay tribute to a band it has to be one I love and then you have to go about it the right way.This is being released on Profound Lore