Infestus- E x | I s t

Infestus is a German black metal band. E x | I s t is the band's third full-length but it is also the first album completely created by Andras. Infestus's take on the genre is sure to drop some jaws. The way Andras meshes rapid aural assaults with slow, blistering sections is simply astounding. This is without a doubt one of the better black metal releases of the year thus far.

The album runs just over an hour and consists of only seven tracks. So right out of the gate one should know what they are getting into. Infestus make long and brooding songs that put the listener into a state of pure seclusion from anything going on around them. To put it simply the music is composed in a way that sucks the listener in easily and time flies up until the last second and then you'll quickly find yourself shuffling for the repeat button. It is hard to believe that this album was created by one person. The entire thing flows so well and seems very thought out. It is clear that plenty of time and effort was poured into the making of this release.

The production on the album is good and it would be a lie to say anything here is raw. That being said the record still has a very mysterious quality that encompasses just as much of a dark atmosphere of any raw black metal album that comes to mind. The atmosphere that is created gives the record a great deal of depth which really makes for excellent replay value. The tone featured on the album has a certain thickness but is still razor sharp when necessary. There are many cleanly played moments spread throughout E x | I s t. When laced with the distorted tone these sections prove to be quite effective. These sections show that even some music surrounded by a sinister atmosphere can still have a certain extent of elegance.

Overall E x | I s t is highly recommended to fans of extreme music. Even with the loss of what used to be half of the band it is evident that Andras will continue to make this project the best it can possibly be. Fans of black metal will not be disappointed and those just getting into the genre may find the production values here make this a better gateway album.