Review Summary: Death metal’s newest poster boys.
If you’re even a little bit like me, the loss of The Black Dahlia Murder vocalist, Trevor Strnad sent vibrations through my listening plane. I was at a loss, personally because those guys would help shape my more extreme listening tendencies. Metal had lost such an influential voice. Further to that, it was because I knew no matter how much I compared, called, or wanted it, Trevor’s unique snarls and growls would not pop up in the near future. Nor would I be able to see his energy take over a crowd, infectious to a nth degree. Moving on, it would make sense that I’d find a sense of familiarity with Sweden’s Carnosus. There’s an alignment here in sound, in energy. Carnosus’ soundscape sits well in the realms of technicality, melodicism, brutality and groove. Of all these,
Visions of Infinihility ticks some ***ing boxes. The void left behind, temporarily filled. Yay!
For the uninitiated, the rambling muse above might seem a bit vague, names dropped for the eventual relevancy of a reviewer simply clutching at straws to get a point across, but the tenacious and winding bite of “Ossein Larcenist” is simply
comparable. Vocalist Jonatan Karasiak initiates this with an instantly dynamic use of growls, blackened shrieks and mid-ranged screams. It’s versatile, ranged and downright impressive hearing Karasiak go through the motions. Not to be left behind is the Carnosus instrumental facet. Seven string emulators Rickard Persson and Marcus Jokela Nyström tear through frenzied, spidery riffs and bludgeoning displays of snaking melodies, while the tech-death flamboyance of the drums fly
everywhere. “Fermenting Blastospheres of Future Putridity”, while a mouthful is chock-full of enough riffs to make any fan of Revocation moist around the lips (or knees?). Karasiak’s vocal dexterity flexes again and sickening, almost-black metal like screams soar above rapid-fire blast beats and sprawling guitar compositions.
Even the more thrash-centric beginnings found a la “Devourer of Light” just sound like they were custom made for
Visions of Infinihility’s take on melodically charged, yet completely technically proficient death metal. The spidery notes return with fervor, while Karasiak fills every spare nook. Despite my attention to the album’s strong vocal efforts, I can't help but appreciate just how well executed the guitarist’s melodies are—especially when it comes to the solo of the track just mentioned. These solos aren’t everywhere.
Visions of Infinihility uses flamboyance at this level in a much-needed moderation, sticking instead to blowing listeners minds with shockwave riffs, blasts and all other creators of ‘brutal’ moments.
Overall,
Visions of Infinihility’s first half is just as strong as its latter. That’s not a small victory and in the search of weakness the tracks stand both individually and together. If there is a crux here, it’s only that some of
Visions of Infinihility’s parts may blend under the steam of their own brutal weight. That said, you’d have to be the worst sort of backwards detractor to not appreciate the slabs of metal Carnosus are putting down on their 2023 effort.
Visions of Infinihility is ear candy for the metal aficionado, the guitarist and die-hard The Black Dahlia Murder fan pearl-clutching at anything Trevor Strnad. Maybe it’s unfair to lump such expectations on an emerging band from Sweden, but they are flattering comparisons meant only to convey the potential impact a band like this could have. Carnosus have hit an undetermined peak with their newest offering and while there’s no indication that
Visions of Infinihility will be a solitary spark, but it sure is lightning.
