Of Infinity - The Essence Of Infinity

[Isolde]

Of Infinity – The Essence Of Infinity
Self-released – September 2004
By Anna Novitzky

I remember when I first saw the film Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I was really looking forward to it, but I was left unsatisfied. It looked beautiful, and all the elements were there, from sensitive art-house direction to (mostly) well-cast actors and astounding special effects, and yet none of it was right. Ironically, it had no soul, and was full of wrong moments, jarring shocks to the system, and Keanu Reeves. Ultimately, what could have been an amazing experience added up to less than the sum of its parts. The Essence Of Infinity had the same effect on me.

Of Infinity have all the ingredients needed for decent melodic metal: rich, soaring female vocals, twinkling mid-period Cradle of Filth-style guitars twinned with light, unobtrusive percussion, delicate pianos, a sprinkling of synths and occasional violins. They definitely look the part, all purple and black packaging, decorative logos and haughty stares. Add it all up, though, and there is something missing. Something serious. For a start, whilst all the individual parts are competent, nay, accomplished, they don’t fit together. It’s as if they were all recorded separately, then thrown together with only minimal effort to coordinate them. Elegant, operatic song The Voice Without; the luxuriant, angry Shadow of A Lie; rocking, catchy jaunt It’s Only For Forever: all are marred by sporadic tooth-clenching discords. When they hit the spot, they really do it well, but it’s a very hit and miss affair.

It’s a shame, because Of Infinity have the potential to be very good. It’s all there, like a premonition of a glorious future, but we are allowed only brief glimpses of its true worth. Their brand of classically inspired gothic showmanship could be huge, but they will have to get their act together. If they are prepared to spend more time polishing the music before they get down to designing merchandise, there’s no telling where they might end up.

5/10

Official Of Infinity Website

 

[P_G]

I came away from the three songs on this demo feeling like I’d heard more
than that and certainly leave me wanting to hear more of this band’s work.
In these songs I got the rare combination of both bottomless energy and
bottomless depth, with a wide range of sensations and meaning that too many
metal acts lack. The tracks are filled with carefully-layered guitar,
piano, and violins.
The whole vibe of the disk is great and very inviting to multiple listens,
but particular high points for me are the richly-layered guitars and violins
in Shadow of a Lie and the somber piano outro in It’s Only for Forever,
which display obvious technical prowess and great emotion.
Low points are few in number and possibly particular to each listener’s
ears. To me, Alessandra’s voice, though lovely and strong as any female
metal vocalist, sounded at times a little thin in contrast to the music it
was being sung over. In The Voice Without and It’s Only for Forever, some
of Nazareth’s guitar lines that are probably very good are half-lost to the
ear, which is not uncommon among musicians with so many layers of sound to
try to balance in mixing.
Ultimately such minor qualms can hardly drag down this band’s overall sound,
especially considering this ambitious CD is only their first demo. The
overall impression I got was one of great promise, and there can be little
doubt that given half a chance, Of Infinity will produce a full-length album
that could have some serious impact.