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Album Review – Infirmum / From The Depths I Cried (2024)

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This Finnish Symphonic Doom Metal band returns with their captivating sophomore album, offering an atmospheric journey through the darkest corners of the human soul.

Formed in early 2019 in the Finnish city of Jyväskylä, Symphonic Doom Metal outfit Infirmum has been approaching the genre in a unique and complex way with a sound that explores aspects of classical music combined with the traditional weight and melancholy of doom, having already released their debut album Walls of Sorrow, in 2020, followed by the EP The Great Unknown, in 2022. Now in 2024, the band formed of Sabine Blodwin (Moonwitch, Draconian Opera, Pettalom) on vocals, Taka Eliel (Sanctuary of Hate) on vocals and bass, Erna Siikavirta (Lordi, Children of Bodom, Sinergy, Arthemesia, Deathlike Silence) on keyboards, Joonas Siikavirta (Begrim) and Timo Solonen (Grain of Pain) on the guitars, Hanna-Leena “Hanska” (Mourning Wood) on drums, and Elya on cello is unleashing their sophomore opus, titled From The Depths I Cried, pointing to an exciting new direction in their career. Recorded by the band itself, mixed by Tuomas Kokko at Electric Fox Studios, and mastered by Samu Oittinen at Fantom Studio, the album brings forward heavy music that can be described as profound and conflicted, exploring the darkest sides of human emotions, diving into the depths of madness, pain, sickness, and death, while still finding brief moments of hope, offering an atmospheric journey through the darkest corners of the human soul.

Eerie sounds gradually grow in intensity in the sluggish, grim and visceral opening track Pact until the phantasmagorical keys by Erna give the song a strong Doom Metal vibe, with the vocal duet of Sabine and Taka sounding truly haunting, whereas the following tune, titled Everlasting, begins in a even more obscure way, again presenting cryptic background elements before Hanna-Leena begins hammering her drums in the name of doom and with Taka gnarling like a demonic entity nonstop, not to mention how melodic and melancholic the cello by Elya sounds and feels. Then the band goes full Blackened and Funeral Doom in Burn, sounding as heavy as it can be to the massive drums by Hanna-Leena and the guttural roars by Taka.

Deception is another eight-minute feast of darkened sounds with an enfolding atmosphere, with Sabine hypnotizing us all with her darkly melodic vocals supported by the band’s classic riffs and the always charming cello by Elya; and the crying sound of the cello sets the tone in Peace, taking the song’s melancholy to a whole new level. Furthermore, the name of the song is deceiving as the peace they’re singing about might be just outside, while inside you can feel all of their grief and pain. It’s then time for Infirmum to blast their heaviest sonority in Ephemeral, with the sharp riffs by Timo and Joonas walking hand in hand with the hammering drums by Hanna-Leena, while Erna and Elya build a whimsical background to add extra layers to their music. Lastly, a ritualistic start morphs into one final shot of doom by Infirmum titled Icamiabas, with the keys by Erna exhaling obscurity. It’s not the strongest song of the album, but still a decent one to conclude the band’s black mass.

Not many bands can blend the ethereal sounds of Symphonic Metal with the sheer heaviness of Doom Metal like what Infirmum have to offer in their new album (already available in full on Spotify), and you can show your support and admiration for such an amazing band from the land of ice and snow by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to their YouTube channel, and above all that, by grabbing a copy of From The Depths I Cried from BandCamp, from Record Shop X, or by clicking HERE. As mentioned, Infirmum are exposing the darkest sides of human emotions in their newborn spawn, inviting us all for a one-way trip to the depths of doom.

Best moments of the album: Everlasting, Deception and Ephemeral.

Worst moments of the album: Icamiabas.

Released in 2024 Independent

Track listing
1. Pact 9:01
2. Everlasting 7:57
3. Burn 5:18
4. Deception 8:07
5. Peace 8:28
6. Ephemeral 7:51
7. Icamiabas 5:46

Band members
Sabine Blodwin – vocals
Taka Eliel – harsh vocals, bass
Timo Solonen – guitars
Joonas Siikavirta – guitars
Erna Siikavirta – keyboards
Hanna-Leena Lassila – drums
Elya – cello

Album Review – Charm Designer / Everlasting (2016)

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An everlasting feeling of heaviness and obscurity in over 50 minutes of beautiful Doom and Gothic Metal forged in the dark flames of Colombia.

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front_cover640Although it might have taken almost 10 years for Colombian Gothic/Doom Metal act Charm Designer to release their first full-length album, entitled Everlasting, the final result is so compelling, professional and melodious it looks like these dark metallers have been doing this for ages. In its over 50 minutes of melancholy, Everlasting offers us metalheads everything we look for in obscure music, definitely putting the city of Bogotá, Colombia in the map of Gothic and Doom Metal, and obviously paving Charm Designer’s path to stardom in the always exciting underworld of Heavy Metal.

Formed in the year of 2006 and having released a demo named Manifested in 2006 and an EP named Blood sounds in 2008, Charm Designer are finally back with a new opus, having recorded Everlasting with legendary German producer Waldemar Sorychta, known for his work with Samael, Lacuna Coil, Moonspell, among other renowned bands, being the first time for him to produce a Latin American band. Featuring a beautiful artwork by Costin Chioreanu (Twilight13media), who has provided his art to bands such as Arch Enemy, Paradise Lost and Opeth, Everlasting will fulfill your needs for heaviness and heartache through its nine powerful chants, and when it’s over you’ll certainly hit play again from the beginning, feeling completely embraced by the band’s gentle darkness.

The title-track Everlasting ignites the dark flames of the album, reminding me of the latest installments by Dark Metal masters Moonspell, being heavy, dense and alluring at the same time. Lead singer/guitarist Andrés Herrera does a great job with both his growls and clean vocals a la Niilo Sevänen (Insomnium), which is also the case in the even more doom-ish and obscure The Replicant. Furthermore, this tune gets closer to the traditional Doom Metal from the UK due to its deeper growling, with drummer Diego A. Morales smashing his drum set while the bass lines by Diego M. Giorgi sound as infernal as possible.

Presenting a strong Gothic Metal/Hard Rock vein, these Colombian metallers deliver a beautiful composition full of melancholy and passion entitled Never After, another song inspired by the unique music by Moonspell and the best of the entire album in my humble opinion. Andrés is on fire with his somber vocals and powerful guitar riffs and solos, and albeit I have absolutely no idea who’s the woman doing the female vocals, she surely adds an additional layer of awesomeness to the musicality. Then we have Disruption, a feast of the most downhearted form of Doom Metal enhanced by its background keyboards and mesmerizing rhythm, where even the smoother passages offer heaviness in the form of the bass lines by Diego M.; followed by Mentors, a solid Doom Metal chant with hints of Gothic Rock where Andrés leads the sounding with his excellent riffs, thus inspiring Diego A. to increase his fierceness on drums.

CharmDesigner_03In Inertial Drain, an acoustic start grows into modern Symphonic Gothic Metal, with the Paradise Lost-inspired drumming by Diego A. and the song’s magnetic riffs enfolding the listener in an ode to grief and misery. In addition, no matter if its comfortless lyrics are screamed or darkly declaimed by Andrés, the final result is simply amazing. The next tune, Endowar, is a lot faster and more violent than most songs despite its symphonic keyboards, showcasing a great job done by Andrés who sounds like a hellish beast without exaggerating on his harsh screams.

However, it doesn’t take too long for Charm Designer to get back to what they do best, in other words, stunning Doom Metal as in the occult hymn By The Unmasked, where the whole band delivers what can be called “dark music under a starless night” (and what a beautiful guitar solo by Andrés, making this excellent tune even more enjoyable). Policy of Truth, , another tribute to the most melancholic form of heavy music, is the icing on the cake in Everlasting, bringing forward an exciting rhythm perfect for the vocal lines by Andrés, as well as more of those gorgeous (and mysterious) female vocals.

In order to truly experience the everlasting feeling of heaviness, sorrow and obscurity brought forth by Charm Designer in their brand new album, go visit their Facebook page, YouTube channel, SoundCloud and ReverbNation, and grab your copy of Everlasting at the Inverse Records webshop, on Amazon and several other locations. Your heart and soul will never be the same after tasting the puissant Doom and Gothic Metal by this talented Colombian band, I must warn you.

Best moments of the album: Never After, Disruption and By The Unmasked.

Worst moments of the album: Mentors.

Released in 2016 Inverse Records

Track listing
1. Everlasting 5:00
2. The Replicant 5:12
3. Never After 6:52
4. Disruption 6:37
5. Mentors 4:51
6. Inertial Drain 7:04
7. Endowar 4:33
8. By The Unmasked 7:41
9. Policy of Truth 4:17

Band members
Andrés Herrera – vocals, guitars
Diego M. Giorgi – bass
Diego A. Morales – drums

Additional musician
Diego A. Hernández – guitars (live)