Modern progressive metal unit Infected Rain experienced their most successful years yet in 2022 and 2023, and are back to own 2024 with brand new music. Amid their current USA tour with Wednesday 13, the band has announced their multifaceted upcoming sixth album, Time, out February 9, 2024 via Napalm Records.
Following their most successful album to date, 2022's Ecdysis - which garnered prime media acclaim, hundreds of thousands of streams and views, and debuted in the Top 20 on the US Current Hard Music charts - Infected Rain climbs even higher with Time. Described by the multinational band as “an homage to every fleeting second, every heartbeat, and every breath that has led us to this moment,” Time was once again produced, mixed and mastered by Valentin Voluta, and combines the deft talents of returning members Vidick (guitars, cover artist), Eugeniu Voluta (drums) and famed frontwoman Lena Scissorhands (vocals), plus introduces new member Alice Lane (bass) to the fold.
Today, the band kicks things off with an eerie, top quality music video for the crushing new single, "Never To Return". The track flirts with trip-hop elements and far eastern instrumentation before bludgeoning with aggressive riffs and dynamic vocals!
Infected Rain says about "Never To Return":
"'Never To Return' is our deep dive into the unstoppable flow of time, reminiscent of the shifting sands in an ancient desert. Like smoke that slips through fingers, moments pass us by, leaving behind traces of memories. In this song, amidst the backdrop of the vast, timeless desert, we transform into ethereal creatures, exploring the mysteries of time. It's a reflection on life's journey, with all its fleeting moments, and a reminder that every second counts."
Infected Rain exercise their trademarks with Time, tastefully accenting the introspective musical journey with effectively-placed progressive, electronic and even nu-metal features amid ethereal passages.
Infected Rain says about Time: “Time is not just an album, it's a journey, a testament to our evolution as Infected Rain. Time isn't just a measure; it's an ever-flowing river, a constant reminder of our fleeting moments and enduring legacies. This subject resonates deeply throughout the record, offering to you a chance to reflect on the past, embrace the present, and dream of the future.
“With Time, we invite you to experience the phenomena of time with us, in all its haunting beauty and raw power.”
First track “Because I Let You” bursts in with undeniable energy, boasting aggressive lyrics and Lena Scissorhands’ swift, menacing delivery, before previously released first single “Dying Light” marches with subterranean heaviness and rhythmic grooves beneath eerie vocals and keys, and even snaps into an EDM passage, showcasing the dynamic delivery of the band in 2024.
Melodic ode to self-empowerment “Lighthouse” then crashes in to juxtapose soft verses and intense auditory shifts. Album standout and djent driven “Vivarium” warns of society’s fickle freedoms as Lena Scissorhands delivers some of the album’s most hair-raising screams amid a haunting, ominous atmosphere, while fast-paced burners like “The Answer Is You” and “Enmity” flash between various EDM, synthwave and even drum and bass brushed transits amid bludgeoning rhythms.
Intense “Game Of Blame” explores themes of hypocrisy and emotional pain delved out by those we love while boasting one of the album’s most searing breakdowns, while tracks like “Pandemonium” and “Unpredictable” detail the uncontrollable energy of the future and past, respectively - boasting lofty, angelic verses with hard-hitting guitars and punching drums.
Italian/English-language journey “Paura” closes out the album with a path to self-discovery - beckoning the listener to understand that we limit ourselves with our own fears, and must harness the pain to overcome. Time ends in a state of calm with ambient finisher “A Second Or A Thousand Years” - drawing the curtains closed on yet another fantastic, experimental expedition by rising stars Infected Rain.
Formats:
-1CD Digipak
-1CD Digipak + T-Shirt Bundle - Napalm international (ex-North America) mail order only, limited to 300
-1LP Gatefold Vinyl Aquamarine Solid
-1LP Gatefold Vinyl Marbled Bone White/Yellow Black - Napalm mail order only, limited to 300
-Music Cassette - Napalm mail order only, limited to 100
-Digital Album
Preorder at napalmrecordsamerica.com.
Tracklisting:
“Because I Let You”
“Dying Light”
“Never To Return”
“Lighthouse”
“The Answer Is You”
“Vivarium”
“Pandemonium”
“Enmity”
“Unpredictable”
“Game Of Blame”
“Paura”
“A Second Or A Thousand Years”
“Never To Return” video:
(Photo: Victoria “Wonka” Tututescu)
