IRREVERSIBLE MECHANISM — Infinite Fields (review)

IRREVERSIBLE MECHANISM — Infinite Fields album cover

Album · 2015 · Technical Death Metal

4/5 · 2024-02-15
siLLy puPPy

Seemingly emerging from a slumber like a cryogenic beast at some secret lab, the Belarusian extreme metal band IRREVERSIBLE MECHANISM coalesced in the capital city of Minsk in 2012 and immediately set forth with the goal to simultaneously conquer the two parallel worlds of technical death metal and progressive metal which resulted in the 2014 debut release INFINITE FIELDS. Apparently the Belarusian equivalent to the USA’s Fallujah and Inanimate Existence as well as bearing some similarities to Obscura, Augury and Beyond Creation, this tech team led by guitarist Vladislav Nekrash and bassist Yaroslav Korotkin caught the world’s attention with this debut in 2014 and for good reason. It masters the blistering technicalities of a seasoned tech death metal band while simultaneously bedazzling the listener with an outlandish orchestrated symphonic component, the boon for some and the bane of others.

Actually it’s hilarious to read the many reactions of metalheads in regards to complex music like this and artists in general who dare to shoot for the stars. Too busy, overproduced, too many notes, too this too that… decrying the ambitiousness of a hungry young band like an old fogey who is set in their ways. In many ways metalheads are the absolute worst when it comes to being open minded. It’s too progressive, it’s too symphonic, all those notes make me want my mommy! Oh give me a fucking break. Don’t fucking listen to it then. This is progressive tech death metal replete with all the excess and perceived pompousness that goes into every teeny weeny bit of it and by my measure of standards, IRREVERSIBLE MECHANISM did an outstanding job of slicing and splicing all of this together in a seamless manner. Made all the more so by the fact that this young team of whippersnappers came out swinging and hit a home run.

In many ways INFINITE FIELDS is the height of conservatism for a tech death band as the balancing of progressive embellishments and the techie instrumental workouts means that the band was forced to keep everything on the leash until the proper moment arrived to bedazzle the listeners with its fiery outburts. Sure there are certain givens here, nerdy guitar wankery, low pitched guttural growls, virtuosic bass and guitar antics to match and the by now mandatory fascination with all things space and sci-fi related but those are themes that have almost become synomous with tech death and the basis for which it allowed the entire genre to drift off from the parent death metal lineage. At this stage IRREVERSIBLE MECHANISM was a mere duo but Lyle Cooper sat in as a guest musician on the drums but his contributions are essential as drum machines just do not cut it in this most challenging of musical genres.

As the title track slow oozes in a synthesized intro that features a lush choir and saturated atmospheres with layers of production wizardry, it screams the excesses of the Blood label which has featured some of the most outlandish and explorative artists over the years ranging from Maudlin of the Well, Lykathea Aflame, Sigh, Ihsahn, Thy Catalfalque and more. In fact a mere presence on the label almost guarantees something above and beyond the call of duty and that’s exactly what IRREVERSIBLE MECHANISM delivers. Sure, perhaps the intro is a bit too long for it’s own good but by the time the second track “Into The Void” begins it’s obvious that this band has learned how to incorporate a synthesized backdrop with a brutal tech death workout with attention paid to the slightest of minutia ranging from guitar tuning to percussive explosiveness.

Yes the comparisons to Fallujah are well-founded and as great as they are in all their majesty it does dampen the spirits of many who are spoiled by Blood’s ability to sniff out some true originals but sometimes high quality music is exactly what the doctor ordered and getting too overly indignant about unbridled originality can keep you from simply sitting back and enjoying the ride. After all while the orchestrated slickness in tandem with brutal tech death ambushes may scream Fallujah in almost every way, this band isn’t a mere clone as it finds the reserves to offer some stellar performances that aren’t always expected. The lush production may be a problem for some but for my ears it’s a breath of fresh air to hear tech death so perfectly integrated into a larger roster of tones, timbres and tunings. The more elements you add the more complexity and therefore the greater chance of fucking things up. INFINITE FIELDS sounds like a perfectly polished diamond in the rough from beginning to end without a single hiccough to be heard.

The album also comprehends of the attention span factor and wisely keeps this album’s running time to a moire traditional playing time of 39 minutes which is absolutely perfect given the saturation that every moment of this album offers without apology. Eerie choirs haunt the turbulent tech death bombast while the riffing frenzies morph from one fine-tuned series to yet another. The art of changing things up and keepin’ you guessing is in top form here. The album delivers all of these attributes from beginning to end like seasoned pros who have been in the biz for decades, a most impressive feat for a newbie band from a far-flung place such as Belarus. Sure, it’s not everyone’s bailiwick nor should it be. It’s a for the small club who has the desire to soak it all in and digest the greater canvass of sonic range. It’s a target audience but for those who love the excesses of the aforementioned bands such as Augury, Obscura, Beyond Creation, The Faceless, Gorod and many others, this will not disappoint one bit. IRREVERSIBLE MECHANISM along with Gomel’s Serdce is the best that Belarus has to offer and both of these fine bands more than live up to the high bar that has been set for this unique combo effect of prog and tech death. Not a masterpiece due to its similarities to other band’s but certainly one of the most excellent 39 minutes a prog tech death metal lover could wish for.