Review by Felix on March 23, 2024.

Ten years ago, Infinity released "Enter Thy Labyrinth of Hell". As expected, the courageous guys did not wet their pants, but created a consistent album while bringing their maxim "Black Metal Is Intolerance" to life. The keyword in this context is consistency. The third full-length of the Dutch combatants guarantees permanently high quality and does not suffer from serious shortcomings.

Infinity are experts for albums with a frictionless flow. "Enter Thy Labyrinth of Hell", as well as the later published "The Arcane Wisdom of Shadows" and "Non de Hac Terra", holds maturely designed songs that blend seamlessly into each other. Sprawling guitar leads appear as cascading dark waterfalls and build the cemented fundament for the pessimistic mood of the album. The drums play their supportive role successfully while commuting between mid-paced rhythms and double bass driven high velocity sections. Although the bass falls by the wayside, the mix does not lack of intensity and pressure. Instead, it gives the listener the feeling of looking into a fathomless black hole.

The lead vocals, contributed by band leader and main composer Balgradon Xul, sound raw and fairly natural at the same time. I appreciate that Infinity did not look out for childish effects in order to create the most inhumane vocals. The unaltered attitude of the band members speaks for itself. Both their bitterness and their fury are authentic. "The flame of life is faded like a candle in the wind" - this line, taken from the fast-paced "Whispers from the Swamps of Despair", can be understood as the quintessence of the lyrical and musical approach of Infinity. It is exciting to see that the guys create an atmosphere of negativity and denial without using the usual tools (samples of thunderstorms, funeral bells, Gregorian choirs or something like that). A short appearance of church bells at the end of the aforementioned songs is negligible in this context. The more or less exclusive tools are their instruments (keyboards are left out) and, of course, the voice of Balgradon Xul.

In my previous Infinity reviews, I have compared the band with Dissection. But when looking at its performance on this album, I do not dare to draw this comparison. Dissection offered very different levels of intensity. Just think of "Where Dead Angels Lie" that did not follow the vehement approach of compositions such as "Soulreaper" or "Unhallowed". Infinity feel comfortable with a stricter song formula. In terms of heaviness and stringency, the here reviewed album leaves the (fantastic) early albums of Dissection behind. This is honest and massive black metal, performed by guys that have a talent for writing minimalist yet effective melodies. Without possessing a great number of breaks, each and every song deserves a rating of 80 percent plus "X". It is therefore difficult to pick out the best track. But in view of my affinity for velocity, I recommend to listen to "In the Spell of the Dreaming Dead". I am sure your black heart will love it.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10