Review by Felix on March 24, 2022.

Karen is the name of the girl who was responsible for the lead vocals on the first two albums of Steel Inferno. Just like on the debut single Arcade Warrior, she managed her tasks very competently on Aesthetics Of Decay, but what the hell happened during the recordings of ...And The Earth Stood Still? The mix of the vocals is terrible. They sound as if the shadow of Karen has done the job. The entire vocal performance falls victim to a flat and dull production. They appear like an external noise without any link to the music of the instrumentalists. Karen has left the band in the meantime and it would be easy to say that her approach sucked. But it’s not Karen’s kind of singing, the finger points at the sound engineer Andreas Villumsen. He is the one who is to blame. But finger pointing does not make things better and so I can only state with resignation: the vocals are a big disadvantage here – and even after some spins, I don’t get used to them.

Music-wise, I have better news. ...And The Earth Stood Still does not only shine with a stylish artwork. Moreover, it is free from serious flaws. Steel Inferno operate in the border area of heavy, speed and thrash metal. I prefer the fast and straight torpedoes like 'Bringer Of Fear' and in particular the excellent 'The Hype'. These tracks stand in the tradition of 'City Lights', one of the best pieces of the debut. But the slightly more melodic songs also reflect the musical maturity of the band. Their fundament is a solid heaviness and they captivate through a smooth flow where all different parts blend seamlessly with each other. The comparatively warm sound of the production fits the traditional yet energetic approach. Motivated by the velocity-loving drummer, the guitars offer sparkling, lively riffs and lines. Nothing sounds stale or vapid and additionally, the combo has a knack for catchy yet heavy harmonies. With this said, relatively weak elements like the verses of the actually strong 'Hunter' or the shivering chorus of 'Z.A.T.O.' remain a more or less isolated case.

'Final Round' marks the last neckbreaker. Steel Inferno can be very impulsive and their music does not lack spontaneity. In my humble opinion, Aesthetics Of Decay was a fantastic release and now we know that the tight and compact playing band does not die as a one-album-wonder, even though the song material is not as expressive as it was on the debut. Nevertheless, I am confronted with a lot of songs on this sophomore work that confirm the potential of the band. But it does not make much sense to release a record with vocals that have been recorded while the singer stood in the front garden of the sound studio. So let’s see whether the third album will bring the guys from Denmark back on track. And good luck to Karin who would have deserved a better farewell presentation.

Rating: 7.2 out of 10