Infernal Pyre is one of many one-man bands formed by Italian musician Michele Labratti. It was formed recently and it put out their first full-length Walls of Iron just last month. I was drawn to it by the cover, which depicts a medieval battle. It reminded me of Brodequin, and sure enough, the music sounds like them too.
The production is really strong. The guitars are fierce and forceful, the bass is thick and crushing, and the drums hit hard. Speaking of which, they play a near constant blast beat bombardment that makes the ground rumble and perfectly captures the brutality of medieval combat. The strong snare strikes make them even more destructive. On occasion, the blasting is broken up by mid-paced rhythms that build up anticipation for the next assault. There are even a few galloping rhythms that include thumping double bass.
The growls are deep and ferocious. They sound like a beast of war. It’s not every day you hear brutal death metal vocals this vicious. The guitars are the best part. During the fast-paced sections they play grumbling palm-muted riffs that are heavily influenced by grindcore. When things slow down, they play stomping chord progressions that express primitive rage. They set themselves apart even further by including solos that are absolutely chaotic. This is best showcased on songs like “Drowning in Filth” and “Obscured by Flames”.
At just 26 minutes, this album is quite short, but leaves a tremendous impact. It is obvious that Michele Labratti is extremely talented and his work would make Brodequin proud.