No God

Our Infernal Majesties haven’t accrued a big amount of interest here… there are barely ten reviews written, five of which have been directed towards the mythical debut, of course. But the situation isn’t very different elsewhere either; it’s not very common to come across someone having spared his/her time to pen a few words about the exploits of the Canadian veterans…

very strange, and probably not quite fair; cause the guys were one of the first acts to attain a cult status in the annals of metal, and although it wasn’t hard for the fans to forget about them due to their very irregular descents upon the scene through the years, Infernal Majesty are way more than just another obscure entry into the history of music. And yet, nearly a year after their latest opus’ release there has been just one scribe here who has spared a few minutes of his precious time to honour its presence.

It’s also true that the band stretched their fans’ nerves to the limit with this endless trail of EP’s and singles which have been leaking out tracks from the proverbial full-length, dissipating the sense of anticipation with each passing month/year. Yes, the appearance of the album reviewed here is anti-climactic, that’s undeniable, but the quality of the leaked material was already a testimony that the band have delivered once again…

and they have indeed, on all counts “Enter the World of the Undead” quickly introducing the staple for the band dark thrash-fixated atmospherics with these supremely catchy brooding melodies and the abrupt fast-paced “skirmishes” which are toned down for “In God You Trust”, a more lyrical mid-tempo proposition with sharp semi-technical riffs. “Signs of Evil” moves towards the death metal wagon, but the supreme melodic hooks soften the supposed more brutal impact which is also translated on “Another Day in Hell”, another heavy mid-pacer with nervy dramatic accumulations recalling the debut, and a brilliant lead-driven interlude. “Kingdom of Heaven” is a minimalistic brooder playing along with the preceding couple of cuts, but the title-track is a major headbanger, a compelling death/thrasher with a fountain of breath-taking melodic excursions. More wild intense shredding on “Nation of Assassins” which notches up the complexity the latter compensating for the relative lack of speed on “House of War”. “Systematical Extermination” is more intimidating and more pounding, but the twisted technical riffage is a wonder to listen to calling to mind the more elaborate approach on the sophomore. “Extinction Level Event” begs to differ, though, switching onto full-on speed for at least half the time, the lead guitarist interrupting the mosh with super-stylish inclusions, also taking care of the imposing memorable finale.

The guys are faithful to their chosen delivery, and those who liked the intricate thrash/deathy blend on the last instalment should have no problems falling in love with this opus. The only unmitigated change is the reduction of the speedy walkabouts as the band aim at a more monolithic, mid-paced approach this time, not willing to dissolve the instilled dark mood with too many aggressive dashes. This decision serves them right, actually, as the less brutal execution allows more frequent technical passages to sneak in as the band have always been better at those when provided in a less intense manner, unlike the ones from the works of their more death metal-prone brethren most of whom hail from their homeland.

Infernal Majesty have never actually disappeared; they have always been around be it in the form of splits, or singles, or demos. And, as long as the audience keep losing their clear vision of them and their “infernal” output, the band will be shooting their albums with unflinching, staunching irregularity.

Infernal Majesty are an old school thrash metal band from Canada. None Shall Defy is a staple of classic thrash for most fans. However, successive releases were sporadic and garnered mixed reactions from fans. No God is only the band’s fourth album and their first in 13 years. It was released to mixed reactions in April on High Roller Records, the fourth different label to release an Infernal Majesty studio album.

It has been a long time for these guys but they do not seem to be slowing down much, if at all. Sure there are groovy sections of these songs but that has become a staple of thrash in the modern age to sound heavier. Plus, this album is still chalk full of great riffs and awesome ¾ thrash songwriting. It may not be as blisteringly fast as fans might want but this record brings the heavy as well as the speed. The solos on here are pretty good but nothing spectacular. Still, this album packs plenty of speed and plenty of heavy riffs that should please many fans of the band and the style. The title track has a number of particularly heavy riffs for fans to chew on and get behind.

The drumming on this album is pretty much what you would expect from a band like Infernal Majesty. Some of it is quite blistering with great double kick and some of it is super syncopated with decent fills and stellar cymbal work on “House of War.” Although very little of the drumming feels original or especially creative, it is played with a power and intensity that adds punch to the rest of the music. “Systematical Extermination” is a particular highlight as it showcases Kiel’s range and ability as a drummer beautifully. This track contains clever fills, fast but decipherable drum beats, a few slow, heavy hits and a healthy amount of variety. It may not be the fastest track on the album but it has a measure of entertainment value that is not found on the rest of the album.

The production on No God is loud and fairly clean but still maintains a bit of the raw edge necessary in thrash. Fans may miss the extremely raw production values of the 80s but this is what most thrash metal sounds like in the 21st century in terms of production values. It works particularly well for Infernal Majesty on the closing track, “Extinction Level Event,” which goes from a crushing banger to a vicious thrash tune in a heartbeat. The vocals on here are pretty raw and vicious, especially in the faster sections of these songs. They slow down a bit with the music but never lose that raw edge which makes them quite successful.

At the end of the day, if you go in expecting None Shall Defy Part Two, you will certainly be disappointed. However, if you take this record for what it is, a solid album in a longstanding band’s discography, you will thoroughly enjoy it. It may not be Infernal Majesty’s best offering or even a contender for thrash album of the year but No God is pretty good considering the 13 year break since the last album. We can only hope they build on this and release another album without taking one of their long hiatuses.

- originally written for The Metal Observer