Inching toward the reeking portals of screaming souls and staring intently into the pits below Coquimbo, Chile-based death metal band Infamovs summon the raw daemonic energies available to the underworld in creation of this concise and impactful sophomore full-length album. A pure yet mutilated vision of occult death’s apex generation ‘Stench of the Unholy Graves‘ concerns itself with both the higher standard of the morbid riff and atmosphere just as the generations before them did, twisting their spout of oily gloom downward into spiraling abysm so that it might all drain down to the lowest infernal levels when all is said and done. Count it among the more spirited spellbooks of chaos and death in the auld tradition we’ve gotten this year.

Infamovs formed back in 2014 but their original quartet wouldn’t solidify until they’d added vocalist F. Ubillio in 2015 as they’d prepared their impressive first tape (‘Emanation of Impure Heresies‘, 2015) a deep underground hit of grotesque atmosphere and brutality which many were referring to as “occult death metal” in style, which had precedence in Chile particularly under the spheres of Dominus Xul and Unaussprechlichen Kulten in the late 90’s/early 2000’s. By the mid-2010’s some established bands like Godless became better known and newer conceptions like Exanimatvm and Infamovs were readily in a similar vein, brutal but still aiming for the best and most brutal from the elevation of what groups like Incantation and Morbid Angel had wrought both pre-millennium and post. This is just one way we can vaguely set the scene of the time but these bands definitely stood out as more than “caverncore” or whatever and had a bestial vibrancy to their work which’d caught notice of Memento Mori for their debut LP (‘Under the Seals of Death‘, 2017) which’d essentially made good on the promise of the tape that’d arrived quickly before it, blasting a bit harder and creating even more chaos despite their obsession with the riff becoming more and more clear.

DEEPER LISTENING: [x]

Diabolic: Always taken for granted per the “Blessed are the sick worship” of their debut ‘Supreme Evil‘ these folks had deep roots in the Florida underground scene which’d soon proven themselves as the next generation of extremity before becoming interested in a tech-death, shredding approach later on. Their early sound is a force which we feel remnants of in Infamovs‘ work, too. (see also: Horror of Horrors, Unholy Ghost, Chaos Inception)

Dominus Xul: If we could their years as Dominus you’ll find this Santiago-based group are one of the older, most brutal death metal acts out of Chile since 1992 though they’d initially lived largely through demos and intermittent bigger releases early on. Don’t pin them down as an Incantation-esque death/doom group as others have, these were inventive folks when it came to occult madness, doom riffs and such. I particularly love the insanity of ‘Unchaining the Ancients Black Prophecies‘ (1997).

Unaussprechlichen Kulten: One of the more notable points of brutality and atmosphere in the early 2000’s Chilean scenery before they’d continue to become entirely their own entity in the 2010’s and beyond. They’ve got a new album coming up soon and it is complete madness. You’ll find more relevant listening to what Infamovs are doing when visiting their 2000’s releases, specifically ‘Wake Up in the Night of Walpurgis‘ (2005). Just, make sure you spell the name right on the internet or nerds will fucking bug you about it.

Between their first tape and LP Infamovs had developed a general stylized shape, a hazy and chaotic presence dominated by the death metal riff which needn’t avoid the canonical endurance of the 90’s in its development avoiding black metal distractions for embellishment. That exciting percussive style of death metal is still around but I’d say this is one of few bands putting a bit of extra work into the tautness of their riffcraft and how it can create a suffocating, chaos-driven atmosphere while still remaining intelligible. This is the first and primal appeal of ‘Stench of the Unholy Graves‘ when it hits my ear, a very clear and killing stab at pure death metal aggression in staunchly illustrated phrases. In fact some may find the sound of the quartet, now with new drummer C. Muñoz (Xalpen, Exanimatvm), reads precise and tempered away from the cacophony of reverb and oversized roar felt on the debut.

One of the more elaborately stated pieces on the full listen and a grand entrance in terms of its quick stab at riff-after-riff “Holy Celestial Slut” acts as a primary point of immersion, a brutal and barbaric kick into the brunt of Infamovs’ force which drills and grinds through its many-staged reveal, cutting up at least five major riff changes within two minutes. Having named late 90’s albums from Diabolic, Centurian and others in the press materials no doubt these rabid, rhythmic feats are inspired by some of the best and you’ll feel that ‘Formulas Fatal to the Flesh‘ level strange by the time the song has concluded, not only for its wild lead ~3:44 minutes in but also the insane guitar effects used on the leads ~5:41 minutes in, a bit of a ‘Love of Lava‘ spill which should spark readily in the brains of ancient ones. Though I won’t suggest I’ve not heard this type of mixture of old anew before the aggression and ambition of the craft is impressive right from the start. Plus I’d liked how they just cut right out of that ever-lasting piece into a few shorter, harder-slapped pieces (“Leviathan, Lord of the Maze” especially) as it’d picked the momentum of their tirade immediately beyond the fade of the opener.

My personal favorite piece on the album, “The Smoke Emanating from the Bones”, pulls me back into the days of death metal’s points of mastery beyond 1995 where perhaps ‘Domination‘ set a certain standard for precision but underground brutal death metal made sure more life could be put into a ragged, unholy blast. From my point of view this is where the drummer best nails down the throne while fleet-footing it around the dynamic of the song, which lulls into ringing slow doomed sections as often as it scatters its napalm about. Though the opener had convinced me this was going to smoke, it’d been that fourth piece which stuck this record in the wrinkles of my brain. The second half of of the album, or where I’d naturally insert Side B comes with “Valley of Putrefaction” a ~ten-minute monster of a piece which pushes to a strenuous dissonant point of gloom for its first half, avoiding the expected dip into death/doom metal for the sake of something more restless and nauseating which didn’t sit well with me to start. If the piece didn’t round itself out through the end I might not’ve stuck with it but the whole event is a big part of the full listen. In fact the whole of the second half continues down this abyssal drain as “Abhorrence of Your Pseudo-God” drips from the mouth of the void and collapses inward, a largely atmospheric mid-paced ritualistic ebb into dissolution which accentuates “Valley of Putrefaction” but also exaggerates its dissonant, eerie repetition.

Best enjoyed loud and under indirect candle light… — Entrenched in their morass of fiery death and mutated sledge-hammering Infamovs present a very strong ideal for death metal in touch with true underground sounds and not those who buy, or force, their way into the crypts. The level of obscure, brutal detail refined into ‘Stench of the Unholy Graves‘ is well represented by artwork from Daniel Hermosilla / Nox Fragor Art and the design of this album benefits from a classic hard-edged tonal look, especially as we cut through the lyrics and the grey, black and red tones become near impossible to read under direct light due to the gloss of the booklet. Obscure, grotesque, yet achieved at a high standard I’d found this album a thrill to discover and a welcome ~35 minute ravine of riff and roar to return to. A high recommendation.

---