text: Oscar Wendt
Inferno
Gnosis Kardias (Of Transcension and Involution)
World Terror Committee
April 4th, 2017
Inferno might be the band that has been looking for its right path over the 20 years of existence but those Czech black metallers seem to be determined in what they do now. Since their previous album in 2013, Omniabsence Filled by His Greatness, Inferno’s music has changed significantly, leaning towards more spiritual and profound black metal which worked quite well for the band. And they are attacking again now with another ritual, Gnosis Kardias (Of Transcension and Involution), to be released through World Terror Committee at the beginning of April.
I must admit that after an incredibly engaging previous Inferno’s album I was anxiously anticipating what the band may come up with after 4 years. Gnosis Kardias immediately takes you to the mysterious (and quite idiosyncratic to start with) regions of human mind. You gain the instant access to the metaphysical world of Inferno. Innermost Disillusion is absolutely spellbinding. After 4 minutes of the fast-paced section, the track slows down to proceed with more ritualistic atmosphere enhanced by spoken parts. This will certainly make you intrigued for what’s to come.
And yes, there is an emphasis laid on the atmosphere of the album. Gnosis Kardias has got a very sophisticated tone which is amalgamated with great skills and the will to create something intelligent. The vocals have got this ‘in the background‘ effect which drives your attention to music itself. And there is a lot to focus on. The whole album is rich in tempo and mood changes. Ω ≻ 1 (Oscillation in Timelessness) acts as a perfect example – pure black metal chaos to be accompanied by the more tamed and melodic passages finishing the song. When you add to it that mid-song inexplicable interlude, you get the whole image of Inferno these days. This is also noticeably highlighted in the album’s longest composition – Gate-eye of Fractal Spiral.
I don’t want to call the album ‘experimental‘, however, there is a good portion of nuances that provoke the thought that Inferno is trying to incorporate varied elements into the music. Which is good. Very good in fact. Gnosis Kardias sounds very fresh yet confident. And this is even better. I think it is a big step forward since Omniabsence… in terms of the atmosphere and musicianship. Inferno sounds incredibly mature and, as I said, very convinced in the musical path they have chosen. Gnosis Kardias will certainly harden Inferno’s position in the black metal scene.
World Terror Committee
Inferno
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