Among the most provocative, daring, and courageous albums is Infidel by the Finnish black metal band Curse Upon a Prayer. The album is controversial because it directly criticizes Islam. And that's why I find it courageous. At the time of writing, the Finnish band, formed in 2010, has released four studio albums and one EP. Infidel is the band's third offering, released in 2020 via Saturnal Records.
(The album had been on my list of albums to review for several months.)
Infidel is a 9-track album offering a 35:25 listening experience. From the very first track, Call to Prayer, the provocation gradually takes hold. The atmosphere is already sinister. The soundscape is melodic and raw at the same time (it sometimes reminds me of Watain). Overall, Curse upon a Prayer presents us with melodic black metal, occasionally with melancholic moments. The band also introduces some oriental melodies, such as at the end of the instrumental track The Portrait of Iblis.
The guitars are fast and often shift towards more melodic compositions, creating a distinctive nuance. The most blistering passages in terms of speed are found on tracks like Taste Ye the Penalty of Burning. Then there are some remarkable solos, like the one on Al-Masih ad-Dajjal starting at 3:40, a heavy and sharp solo. The drums accompany and guide the rhythm, creating a balanced cadence between infernal and calmer moments. The transition between melodic and infernal sections is underpinned by this powerful drumming, as on Taste Ye the Penalty of Burning starting at 3:10. It's on the tracks Prophetic Poison and Fitna that I find the drum performance most dominant, and where it truly reaches excellence.
The vocals, for their part, are high-pitched and devilish; the track Haram perfectly illustrates this. At times, they take on a menacing, whispered, growled form, as on the track Infidel from 2:14 onwards, or on the track Jahannam, which closes the album with an acoustic atmosphere and a demonic whisper. The vocals deliver their best performance in my opinion on the tracks Taste Ye the Penalty of Burning, Al-Masih ad-Dajjal, and Fitna. As for the production, I find it impeccable and flawless.
The best moments I enjoyed were the melodies on Taste Ye the Penalty of Burning starting at 2:26 and the hypnotic solo that kicks in at 2:46. I also appreciated the whispers from 2:26 onwards on the track Haram, which amplify the already sinister atmosphere even further. Al-Masih ad-Dajjal... what can I say about this track? A piece that brings together all the elements: melancholy, melodies, and aggression. It's my favorite track and, by far, one of the best I've heard in recent years, and I'm not exaggerating. Another track that stands out on the album is Fitna, a piece track with a powerful, relentless rhythm.
To conclude this review, I would say that the album Infidel is exceptional (for me, since I understand it very, very, very well), both for its musical creativity and its provocative aura. It brings together different elements (melancholy, a sinister aura, aggression, and melodies) to the point that I consider it one of the best releases of the early 2020s.
All hail to the musicians for this masterpiece.
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