The Infinity Ring : "Ataraxia"

 

The violin is the most important instrument on this album. It helps keep this band from sounding like a Swans tribute band. The soft baritone chant of the vocals draws perhaps too much inspiration from Micheal Gira. I do like how this band allows the opening track to simmer. The slow build pays off and their execution of post-rock is impressive. This is their second full-length album. Without going back and listening to it, I do not remember what their 2023 album sounds like. I gave it a 9, but this must have been due to the execution of the sounds that created it as I never listened to it again after the day I reviewed it. The second song feels like it is a jammed-out progression being drawn out from the opening track. I think what I liked the most was the familiarity of the dark sounds, after all, they collaborated with Jarboe being recording their debut album.

"Elysium" works best off the more choral passages of vocals, though even on the verses a more Nick Cave-like approach is taken. I really like this song so it is obvious they can write a damn fine song when they are not wandering around sniffing their own atmosphere. "Hymn" starts off with more of a hypnotic creep to its droning groove, but when it reaches a climax the ringing guitar tones feel like they were sampled from "Love of Life". 'Revenge" works off a similar slow burn as the bulk of the songs have thus far, the vocals in a more spoken whisper with the hesitant strum of the guitar.  I like the lyrics but I would like to hear more of who this guy is, even Micheal Gira himself uses different vocal colors, and we are just getting the one style Cameron Moretti has nailed. 

They go into "The Drum" with an even more minimalist approach. They build off this into some with more sonic heft, before ebbing back down to the whispered vocals we have already heard in ample supply on this album. The violin needs to be a more dominant presence as it adds a bit of the Appalachian Hills to "The Window" which is what this band needs, anything that helps set themselves apart from Swans. This sounds like something Charles Manson might dig if he was tripping on acid. I like the piano melody on the last song, but the song does not really go anywhere we have not already heard them visit on this album. I will give this album an 8 as I feel the have more potential here they already have proven themselves capable of these sound and this would have been the album to prove they are not a Swans tribute band.Drops on Profound Lore.  

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