Woods Of Infinity has always been a band of extremes. The Swedish use an almost grindcore approach on samples and other bullshit that I usually don’t care for hearing, but just when the urge of turning it down becomes greater than curiosity, the band comes up with a stunningly ugly black metal attack. Some albums with more dedication to this that others, I think I’ll have to live with it. However I’m not really fond of it, the image plays an important in Woods Of Infinity’s music. Förintelse & Libido was a 2002 demo, and apparently the band decided to release it on CD now, with a different song lineup.

The band plays what must be some of the most disgusting and perverse black metal around. The imagery and samples usually deal with sex or little children, and suggest a relation between the two of which I do not like to know more. The vocals are what would be the black metal equivalent of a drunken bastard prattling nonsense here, and convincingly screaming along with the music as if he were a possessed chick there. However this might be quite disturbing at times, he manages to sound very emotionally involved in the music, and can actually get some melancholy across. Clean vocals are being used, but not too often. They are as dreadful as rest, but still they are quite a nice addition. The music is very varied within its sound and quite original as well. The production is straight forward horrible, and fits the music perfectly. I never realized it would be possible to have something sound this filthy and randomly chaotic. On this surface, comparisons are Vlad Tepes and Ildjarn. At times, the drums and vocals overshadow literately everything the guitars do, leaving them to merely hint at the melody as in Tribut Till Självmördare. Moments like that are what to look forward to, here, all elements sound as if one force of madhouse madness, with a thin line of melancholy and melody searching its way through. Musically, comparisons to Ildjarn and Vlad Tepes are easily made. The bedlam of both, Ildjarn’s groove and Vlad Tepes’ downhearted melodism would sum in something like Förintelse & Libido. Some of the melodies remind of Satyricon’s early works as well; tracks like Vid Kedjan Av Kommande År display this.

Just when you think you’ve reached the limits of weirdness, a piano kicks in, randomly inserting little tunes into the distorted loony bin, or someone starts to violate a violin in the attempt of sawing it up into pieces. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed both. As I said, the samples used are either very sick or very weird and annoying (although I got used to them). Sometimes though, they are really funny when integrated into the music, copied parts of all sorts of totally non-related songs raped by a black terrorizing approach make this kind of metal some of the most varied and weird around. My open-minded friend and devoted forum-dweller TIE mentioned the idea behind this band shows correspondence with free jazz. Still, the traditional downhearted melancholy and majesty as only inherited in black metal, remains omnipresent. In welcome addition, the dynamics and fluidness of some songs are simply amazing, and add a lot to the already firm groove. Den Eviga Natten is a good example. Another interesting element is the bass; it sometimes takes an important place in creating some of the sadness and is surprisingly melodic. Some hardly noticeable and buried synths take the same place.

I have not really figured out how it’s possible, but it seems that some are able to create music that is clearly false at times, while still being thoroughly enjoying to listen to. An excellent release of extremely original black art, despite the kvlt image that I’d rather ignore. It’s hard to find seventy minutes of music with this load of melancholy elsewhere. If the two mentioned as comparisons are daring you to buy it, don’t even try to hesitate.