Inhalo: Sever

The cover art of the Inhalo debut Sever says a lot about what you’ll experience as you traverse this album’s intention. Deep, dark, and containing more depth than initially obvious, the crumpled, smoke filled, flame flicking image that then reveals a tortured face, catches the eye and “Omniscient Being� opens this effort in equally uncompromising style. Immediately you know you are in a twisted world inhabited by the likes of Tool, Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Karnivool and many more. The band comprises Fons Heder on vocals, Roy Willems on guitar, Peter Cats on bass and Pepijn Gros on drums and the confidence the quartet display, especially on the swoop and soar of “Sisyphean� marks them out as ones to watch.

Not that the musical forays have been substandard to that point, Heder proving a capable and versatile vocalist, while the melodies and power behind the guitars from Willems often catch you off guard. Cleverly, “Pretenders� slows things down and offers a new dynamic, although for me it’s the first point where Sever loses its grip on your attention. It’s dreamy, lush and well thought through but in some ways the almost easy accessibility feels like a compromise the band themselves aren’t completely sold on.

The Tool quotient is upped through the tip-tap, rat-a-tat drums and spiralling vocals and guitars of “Eventide�, this second slower selection proving a much more enigmatic and convincing change of focus. All of which leaves the closing pair of tracks proper - “The Mirror Door� and “The Last Vestige� - to bring everything we have learned so far and combine it into wide, varied smashes of gloomy melancholy that still offer up some hope. With the short, instrumental title-track bringing the mood right back down as we exit, I’m left with mixed feelings. There’s some real skill, craft and insightfulness going on here but there are maybe still one or two passages too many where you can’t help but play spot the influence and while Inhalo are far from alone in that trait, it is a distraction. However, as debuts go this is a fine album indeed and one that bodes well for the future.

Track Listing
1. Omniscient Being
2. Subterfuge
3. Sisyphean
4. Pretenders
5. Eventide
6. The Mirror Door
7. The Last Vestige
8. Sever

Added: November 26th 2024
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Inhalo online
Hits: 130
Language: english

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