Of Infinity - The Essence Of Infinity (EP)
Self-Financed
Gothic Metal
3 songs (17:01)
Release year: 2004
Of Infinity
Reviewed by Ken
Archive review

Of Infinity was conceptualized in 1999. Their roots were planted in Utah, but then they moved to Arkansas (big mistake, I could have told them that), then they moved to the tri-state area of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, then they moved back to Utah, and finally found themselves in Houston, Texas! Yeehaw! So, if you're asking yourselves why a band that's been around for 7 years can only manage to release one 3-song EP, this may answer your question. It also gives you a little insight on the dedication of this band being that all their cross-country roaming was based solely on finding the right band members to complete their vision of Of Infinity.

Nazareth (guitars) was previously in the black metal band Fallen Empire—one of the few mention-worthy bands from Arkansas—so you can assume the level of guitarmanship is top-notch. The music is much in the vein of The Gathering, Flowing Tears and Aegis-era Theatre Of Tragedy, but without the male vocals and a little less symphonic. Vocally, Alessandra is clearly on top of her game, her lush, strong soprano vocals captivate and her melodies are outstanding. The one drawback of this EP, besides its length, is its production; occasionally—like in the beginning of “The Voice Without”—it can seem a little noisy without any one instrument standing out. This usually doesn't last long, and it can easily be overlooked, but it is there nonetheless. The song itself is a mid- to fast-paced jam with everything from acoustics to piano and synthesizer to double-bass to a heavy galloping riff, punctuated by a strong, memorable chorus. “Shadow Of A Lie” follows with an acoustic intro interlaced with violin before kicking into a heavy groove, a little less in-your-face than the first track, but no less catchy; subtlety is the key here. On a completely pointless side note, the solo in “It's Only For Forever”—a great, piano-based metal ballad with a killer chorus—sounds a lot like the solo in Testament's “Return To Serenity”—the greatest, most soulful metal solo of all time (don’t argue with me).

In a genre overflowing with similar bands, Of Infinity aren’t going to change your mind if you’re not already a fan of this style. But if you are a fan, you can add a nice little EP to your collection. It likely won’t trump your top album, but it should be knocking on the door. All in all, this is a great EP and worth the $5 it'll cost you to pick it up.

AUDIO: The Voice Without (Rough clip from CD Baby) and samples from MySpace

Note: In time these links will likely becoming outdated.

Killing Songs :
Shadow Of A Lie and It's Only For Forever
Ken quoted 85 / 100
0 readers voted
Average:
 0
You did not vote yet.
Vote now

There are 5 replies to this review. Last one on Fri May 26, 2006 4:10 pm
View and Post comments