Inferion - Given To The Ground


Over 20 years ago, Inferion emerged on the Doom/Death Metal scene. They combined their sound with Melodic Black/Thrash Metal, fusing some of the heavier styles of Heavy Metal with the low and slow of Doom, bringing a different vibe to the Florida music scene. The digital version of this re-issue has three of the original songs re-recorded with the new lineup, showing the differences between then and now both musically and technologically. Nick Reyes is the only remaining member from the 1999 release lineup.

https://inferion.net/

Band Members:

  • Nick Reyes – Vocals/Guitars (Album and Current Lineup)
  • Juan Giraldo – Vocals (Album)
  • Armando Martinez – Guitars (Album)
  • Jacob Ford – Guitars (Current Lineup))
  • Ray Mitchell – Guitars (Current Lineup))
  • Joel Cerda – Bass (Album)
  • Frank Gross – Bass/Vocals (Current Lineup)
  • Gary Bennett – Drums (Album)
  • Elan O’Neal – Drums/Backing Vocals (Current Lineup)
  • Vanessa Perez – Guest Vocals (Album)

February 10, 2023

Tracklist:

  1. Given To The Ground
  2. Luxor Massacre
  3. Entering Death Without A Name
  4. Killing Off Life
  5. Religious War
  6. When The Fire Dies
  7. Realm Of Solitude
  8. Angelic Suffering
  9. Further Into The Vortex
  10. Entering Death Without A Name (2023 Re-Recording. Digital Only)*
  11. Killing Off Life (2023 Re-Recording. Digital Only)*
  12. Religious War (2023 Re-Recording. Digital Only)*

The album starts with the title track, immediately shredding your ears with a melodic intro followed by a massive riff. The harsh vocals are delivered fast and have some range in them. The drums are often at blast beat speeds, and the bass thunders along with guitars at times and the drums at other points. This reinforces that the rhythm is a multi-instrument project.

“Luxor Massacre” comes next and continues the intensity. The speed of the song is incredible, hitting speeds that are well beyond what many bands can even think of achieving. A palpable tension to these tracks is created almost solely by the pace. This song has a couple of breakdowns, which are very well executed. “Entering Death Without A Name” starts with a slower, more Doom Metal intro, picking up speed slowly and becoming heavier as it goes, building up through the main body of the song and fading back into the mellow Death metal.

Continuing down the track listing, “Killing Off Life” and “Religious War” are in the heavier style that Inferion likes to play. The guitars have a chugging riff with scattered leads and fills that add an extra flair to the song. On the original release, they spend more time in the Death than in the Doom realm. The three re-recorded tracks are tempered, fitting in more Doom than the originals while maintaining all the intensity. The new versions are equally good; they just have a different tone, honoring the originals while having enough distance to make them unique to the new lineup.

Inferion likes to mix up the tracks to keep you on your toes. “When The fire Dies” goes back to the more Melodic Doom Metal, keeping the tempo slower through much of the song, but hitting the favored tempo through a couple of sections. Then, “Realm Of Solitude” returns to the rapid-fire stylings of the Death Metal end of their sound. The ability to play in both genres and blend them together in a single song is pretty astounding. Not many bands try to accomplish this.

One of the creepiest songs I’ve heard is “Angelic Suffering.” The tone, the tempo, and the timbre are all haunting. Again, relying more on the Doom Metal sound, they create a harrowing track that leaves you a little drained. This is probably my favorite track on the disc. The original disc concludes with “Further Into The Vortex,” a slow, methodical instrumental with a very dark tone, especially with the eerie sound effects mixed in. the whole song sounds muted, adding to the horror factor of the music.

Inferion challenged the thinking back in the day and continues to do so with the adaptations of the older songs with newer technology and a re-imagined tuning. They have a unique blend of genres and styles they weave together to create their own sound. It’s obvious they do not follow the crowd, preferring instead to blaze their own trail.

MZ Ratings:

  • Musicianship
    • Guitars – 8
    • Rhythms – 8
    • Vocals – 8
  • Songwriting – 8
  • Production – 8
  • Overall – 8.0