Before being asked to review “Beyond the Veil of Light“, I’d never heard of Pestis Inferos. And, a lazy search of the internet provides little more information than that they’re a three piece Black Metal band from the mean streets of Syracuse, New York. I know nothing about Syracuse, but I imagine the streets are mean because, you know, ‘Murica, guns, etc. Anyway, being shrouded in mystery is no mean feat in the age of the internet, so colour me intrigued. Hang on! This is a review of a Black Metal EP, so colour me monochromatic black.
The EP opens with church bells and kids talking. Kids can be creepy little shits. So, atmosphere…check. This brings me to Pestis Inferos‘ sound. I really like the sound of the bass and drums on this EP. It’s Black Metal with muscle. The guitar sound is a little thin, but Black Metal isn’t known for its great guitar tones. To remedy this, I’d suggest that instead of two guitars playing the same melody line, the band could (at times) incorporate a second guitar part that plays chords under the melody. This would help thicken the guitar sound such that it’s as steroid-infused as the bass and drums.
On the opening few tracks, Pestis Inferos don’t break any new musical ground. But, that changes when you get to what is, in my humble opinion, the stand-out track on “Beyond the Veil of Light“. The opening riff of “Invoking the Sigil” is an absolute cracker. I can’t stress enough how much of a ball-tearingly good song this is. I don’t want it to sound like I’m saying this is the only good song on the EP, because “Poison Falling Stars” is also top-notch. And, there are other highlights. The drummer, for example, goes off like a frog in a sock. The bass-player knows how to write a bsssline, and not just follow the guitars. My least favourite aspect of “Beyond the Veil of Light” is the vocals. Don’t get me wrong, they’re solid. But, they’re not particularly memorable, except on “Invoking the Sigil” where there’s some cool stuff going on near the end. Have I mentioned that that song rocks?
“Beyond the Veil of Light” is tight, well-played, well-written Black Metal. It’s a surprisingly good first outing. If they refine their sound a bit, I’d be surprised if they weren’t picked up by a label. There’s definite potential here. That all hinges on the assumption that they want a record deal. Who knows? Perhaps they really are as ‘cvlt’ as their online presence would suggest, and they’ll be shrouded in mystery forever.
Rating – 4/5
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The Metal Wanderlust 