Endstille - Infektion 1813   

More of the same but still solid

There’s something to be said for consistency. If you’ve got a winning formula as a band then maintaining a consistent sound on each and every album can be somewhat of a good thing from the old ‘if it isn’t broken don’t fix it’ perspective. The uglier side of this kind of consistency is that the sheen slowly but surely begins to wear off with each subsequent release and is probably directly proportional to just how good the formula was in the first place. When I look at a band like Germany’s Endstille I see a band whose formula is most definitely solid but whose sheen is dimming.

Infektion 1813, the band’s seventh full length release and third in a row that I have reviewed, deviates little from both of the albums that precede it in either form or function. It is still almost but not completely comprised of blasting black metal with a strong focus on minor chord progressions that serve to evoke a decidedly maudlin atmosphere all wrapped up within a war-focussed thematic backdrop. If you’re at all familiar with Endstille and are thinking to yourself that this all sounds a bit familiar then let me confirm your suspicions and be as blunt as possible by saying that if you’ve heard any of the band’s recent output then you are unlikely to find any surprises on their latest slab. Does this mean that Infektion 1813 isn’t worth your time? Not in the slightest, because it is still a very strong album, but it is also a case of a band bringing its listeners more of the same, for better or worse.

While I do tend to view the portion of Endstille’s catalogue that I’m familiar with as being quite similar in many respects I do remember noticing a slight fine-tuning of their style between Endstilles Reich and Verführer with the band focussing more on the emotive qualities of their music. It was a very welcome change-up and showed that the band was capable of delivering more than blunt, artillery-like salvos across the listener’s bough.

Infektion 1813 continues on much where Verführer left off with a keen eye kept upon keeping the balance between the raw, blasting black metal in their arsenal and the moodier emotive elements they have clearly been trying to enhance and Endstille carry it off pretty well. In fact, I’m struggling to find much to complain about with the album at all, save for the fact that it does feel like I’ve heard it all before which is where the question of the sheen wearing off comes in. I think when taken as an album completely out of the context of what Endstille has done before Infektion 1813 should more than satisfy the needs of those that dig this kind of black metal. It’s just when the album is taken in as part of a larger body of work that some, like myself, might start to view things differently. Ultimately it’s a question of whether or not you are familiar with the band’s sound and if you expect bands to continue to push themselves further and further with each release. If you answered no to either of those questions (or just no to the first question) then I can see no reason why, as a black metal fan, you wouldn’t find a hell of a lot to like about this album.

While it is far from a departure from their pretty well established sound, Infektion 1813 is still a solid black metal album and is a worthy successor to 2009’s Verführer without doubt but, as much as I liked the album overall, I’m still hoping that next time around Endstille are able to throw a few unexpected moments my way to truly wow me.

(Season of Mist/Riot! Entertainment)

Added: June 4th 2011
Reviewer: Michael O'Brien
Score:
Related Link: Official Website
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