Review by Felix on May 1, 2019.

Finland, the land of the thousand lakes and the million black metal musicians, challenges the hard and heavy audience once again. Infernarium from Turku spit their hatred upon mankind in a pretty rumbling manner, because the sound of their first full-length has a really noisy touch. To describe this production with the word "raw" is nothing but a massive understatement. Nevertheless, this work does not sound like a rehearsal tape. The mix develops a certain pressure and, in its best moments, a hellish atmosphere. So, you do not need to fear another "Under a Funeral Moon" sound, the strange rattle and clatter remains the more or less unique selling point of Fenriz and Culto.

Infernarium are familiar with the aesthetics of the sub-genre and their compositions do not suffer from obvious weaknesses. Everything is solidly performed. Tempo shifts guarantee a certain dynamic, although the basic mood remains more or less the same. This is not least due to the fact that the lead vocalist delivers an almost monotonous mix of wrath, hatred and negativity. Well, give the sub-genre what the sub-genre asks for. So maybe this raises the question whether there are any original elements in the approach of Infernarium at all. Yes, there is a pretty surprising break during the second track. It tears the song into two halves and gives room for a pretty sacral intermezzo with a choir of innocent voices. My honest opinion? Experiment gone wrong and unfortunately the same applies for a short airy sequence in "Luvattu Profeeta". The promo text speaks of "tasteful colorings of mystical synth", but who takes this kind of statements seriously? They seem to be written by pathological liars or dudes with a very strange kind of humor. So, what, one thing is certain, the band does not lack courage. Nonetheless, some percent of compositional brilliance are missing. Be that as it may, some of the really brutal sections are fascinating, even though a few numbers of them seems to be borrowed by fairly comparable formations. Fans of Necrophobic will identify elements of "Furfur" in the seventh number of Infernarium's debut, but that's no big deal. The song works and there are much worse idols thinkable than the Swedish legend.

All in all, the newcomers represent their country in a worthy manner and we all know that the bar is set high in terms of Finnish black metal. Those of you who like formations such as Sacrilegious Impalement or Saturnian Mist will not waste their time when giving this album a try. It is neither spectacular nor unique, but it continues the proud history of a style that seemed to be a kind of stillbirth after the ending of this first wave. Melancholy and frenzy go hand in hand and so this album grows slowly but steadily, just listen to the memorable and ominous chorus of "Amen Armageddon". Of course, those dudes who only feel good as long as they have a reason to feel bad will find some points of criticism - the material does definitely not reach perfection. But that's their problem, I don't care and prefer to listen to "Kadotuksen Harmonia" once again, although the Finnish role models such as Behexen, Azaghal or Horna are not at risk to be blown away by the new challengers.

Rating: 7.2 out of 10

Review by Jack on November 25, 2002.

For those you unfamiliar with hardcore/metal scene, Botch is probably one of the more talented outfits in the scene. Combining a witty knack for a natty track with a slight nod to the weird and wacky, Botch, with their new EP “An Anthology of Dead Ends”, have created quite superb little number.

This EP can be effectively divided into part two parts. Part I is comprised of the more hardcore/metal tracks of ‘Japam’, ‘Fracme’, ‘Vietmam’ and ‘Micaragua’ whilst part II is just the 7 minute oddball of ‘Afghamistam’ (and, yes the spelling of each country is deliberately substituted with an ‘m’ for an ‘n’).

Part I is hardly what you would call the ‘norm’ for this genre, but it is a very good addition to the collection of those fans that are into the hardcore/metal scene. There is gnarly shredding, roaring growls, and a good amount of skin beating to leave everyone pleading for more. Part I is the more safe material from “An Anthology of Dead Ends”.

Part II. What can I possibly say about part II? The track 7 minute ‘Afghamistam’ is such a departure from the rest of the EP, that you would swear that someone has changed the record from your stereo without having informed you. Mellow and involving ‘Afghamistam’ is a track that demands attention. I can almost guarantee that folks will put down whatever they are doing (office work, drugs, girlfriend, or whatever) and devote their ears to this masterpiece. Starting with a soothing bass intro followed by vocals that are at polar opposites from the monstrous roars of the other four tracks, this opens the way for a an encapsulating ride into the wild. Everything is spot on for ‘Afghamistam’; vocals, gentle guitar work, and precise and crisp drumming, which while always in your mind never becomes too much of a force, but provides beautiful interplay between each of the other instruments.

The stark contrasts of ‘Afghamistam’ with the rest of “An Anthology of Dead Ends” provides something of an enigma, but the sort of bewilderment which leaves you smiling at the end of day, rather than with a look of perplexity. “An Anthology of Dead Ends” is just one of those unique EPs that is worth hunting down.

Bottom Line: Gobsmacked would be a gross understatement. In just over 20 minutes, Botch creates a work of art that the scores of similar acts couldn’t even attempt to comprehend, let alone create with a full album’s worth of time.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 8
Originality: 8
Overall: 8

Rating: 8.4 out of 10