LUNARIS - ...The Infinite
1. In The Eyes Of The Heretic
2. 2 Arise
3. 3 ...Of The One
4. 4 Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum
5. 5 Mother Of Storms
6. 6 Growth Denied
7. 7 Primal Construction
8. 8 In Contempt Of Humanity
9. 9 A Final Journey
10. 10 Soulcrush
Label: Elitist Records
Release date: 2002
Artist site: http://www.lunarisweb.com/
GRADE:
5/10
Don't you just love it when a record label overhypes a band to the point where your expectations are just too high to appease? Phrases like "Intricate Astral Metal Featuring Elite Members of Borknagar, Spiral Architect and Satyricon" plastered on stickers and whatnot. Who are these elite members I ask? The session guitarist from SATYRICON's 1999 tour? Hell, I don't know and after awhile it just gets too damn confusing.
Bottom line, is it a good release? Well, yes and no, but one thing is certain, ...The Infinite is not the groundbreaking opus the label would like you to believe it is. Some of it has that "heard this somewhere before" feel to it while some of it just comes across pompous in an attempt to be "groundbreaking." The guitarwork on here sounds heavily influenced by Ihsahn of EMPEROR, and the more "black" parts of album opener "In The Eyes Of The Heretic" sound like they were lifted straight off of In The Nightside Eclipse. The clean vocals are borderline awful.
To be honest, there are only two songs that really stand out for me and they are "Mother Of Storms" and "Growth Denied." Unfortunately, they are buried in the middle and unless you think this release is just the greatest thing to grace your ears, you probably won't make it that far. "Mother Of Storms" has some really cool layered keyboards and the drumwork is nice, but the production almost immediately kills it. The same problem confronts "Growth Denied," a track that starts off like a lost DREAM THEATER piece, clean vocals that actually sound ok and an old school organ sound ala DEEP PURPLE before going to blastbeats, odd changes that somehow work. However, I just can't get past the paper thin production. There's nothing worse than when a good song idea is ruined by piss poor sound.
I'm still trying to figure out exactly what "intricate astral metal" is, but if this is it, I think I'll pass.
PJ
1. In The Eyes Of The Heretic
2. 2 Arise
3. 3 ...Of The One
4. 4 Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum
5. 5 Mother Of Storms
6. 6 Growth Denied
7. 7 Primal Construction
8. 8 In Contempt Of Humanity
9. 9 A Final Journey
10. 10 Soulcrush
Label: Elitist Records
Release date: 2002
Artist site: http://www.lunarisweb.com/
GRADE:
5/10
Don't you just love it when a record label overhypes a band to the point where your expectations are just too high to appease? Phrases like "Intricate Astral Metal Featuring Elite Members of Borknagar, Spiral Architect and Satyricon" plastered on stickers and whatnot. Who are these elite members I ask? The session guitarist from SATYRICON's 1999 tour? Hell, I don't know and after awhile it just gets too damn confusing.
Bottom line, is it a good release? Well, yes and no, but one thing is certain, ...The Infinite is not the groundbreaking opus the label would like you to believe it is. Some of it has that "heard this somewhere before" feel to it while some of it just comes across pompous in an attempt to be "groundbreaking." The guitarwork on here sounds heavily influenced by Ihsahn of EMPEROR, and the more "black" parts of album opener "In The Eyes Of The Heretic" sound like they were lifted straight off of In The Nightside Eclipse. The clean vocals are borderline awful.
To be honest, there are only two songs that really stand out for me and they are "Mother Of Storms" and "Growth Denied." Unfortunately, they are buried in the middle and unless you think this release is just the greatest thing to grace your ears, you probably won't make it that far. "Mother Of Storms" has some really cool layered keyboards and the drumwork is nice, but the production almost immediately kills it. The same problem confronts "Growth Denied," a track that starts off like a lost DREAM THEATER piece, clean vocals that actually sound ok and an old school organ sound ala DEEP PURPLE before going to blastbeats, odd changes that somehow work. However, I just can't get past the paper thin production. There's nothing worse than when a good song idea is ruined by piss poor sound.
I'm still trying to figure out exactly what "intricate astral metal" is, but if this is it, I think I'll pass.
PJ
