EP Review: II

The New Plymouth-based stoner groove metal group Infinity Ritual has put on quite the show for us here. Their new EP II is an experiment, if nothing more; a show of catchy ‘metallised’ Arctic Monkeys’ riffs bootstrapped with addictive grooves and an ever-changing atmosphere is definitely the pinnacle of underground music in NZ.

Immediately I can say I (and hopefully others will say the same) love that every track has a different feel, idea, or vibe. What starts out as a clear doom/stoner effort slowly evolves over the 4 tracks, with lyrics tackling mortality and humanity in this tapestry of muddied guitar riffs.

The closer track Stones definitely embodies the EP as a whole. While it is over 18 minutes long with several sections, key, and time signature changes - I could not bring myself to stop listening, it’s as if the song itself was drawing me in, just awaiting the cataclysm of the band to crash down on me from the ethereal sounds, or for the chaos to fade into a Deafheaven-eqsue shoegaze.

This is why I call this release an experiment; there are multiple genres at play here – all while under the metal umbrella. Some of the changes can be jarring but I can applaud these guys for breathing some light into an oversaturated genre.

All in all, I highly enjoyed listening to this release, and hope others find it as appealing and interesting as I have.