Screaming Savior
Infinity

I have to start by saying that this band is very annoying to write about because the have spelled saviour the wrong way in their band name. This means that I keep writing their name the wrong way and has to redo it over and over, it is annoying why can’t they spell? Perhaps it because they are from china, a tiny town called Shanghai to be more precise. Their real name is of course 惊叫基督 which means just what it says, and this album called Infinity is their second album which is also named 宙海 and it was released in 2012 but Metal Hell Records decided to release it again under their label with two bonus tracks.

This whole paragraph is from the press info: Started officially in Shanghai China in 2001, Screaming Savior combines a passion of astronomy, quantum physics and dark poetry to create an epic and technical, symphonic black metal sound. The dynamics of Infinity are virtually unparalleled in the realm of metal and listeners are in for a exciting and memorable galaxy-spanning voyage through the Infinite cosmos. Infinity has been re-mastered by the band for a more powerful production and includes two bonus tracks not heard on the original Chinese pressing. An orchestral version of Ocean of Asura and an 8-Bit classic video game version of Across the Boundary of Cosmos.

So, it all sounds fantastic but is it? Well, the production sounds a bit dated to be honest, their sound is despite this very good and the album as a slight digital feeling sound which suits their space themes quite well. The symphonic black metal they perform isn’t that powerful but it is more varied and has many interesting angles, quite clever I would say. The vocalist however, is a whole other matter. He is absolutely dreadful and does not add anything at all to this album. Their narrative is ruined by this and the album really only comes alive in the tracks where he is silent. And it is quite long as well, with the bonus tracks the playing time stops just shy of the hour.

The album becomes a rather long wait as the only good songs are the three that ends the album, I especially love the 8-bit version of Across the Boundary of Cosmos which is just brilliant. It could have come from any of the Mega Man games to the Nintento Entertainment System. Although the original version of that song is good, it is nowhere near and the fact that the bonus tracks are the best isn’t that much of a good rating for the band. The orchestral version of Ocean of Asura is just so much better mainly because the vocals are gone. The lack of good vocals is the main problem of this album.

It may not be bad, this album, but it never really takes off and when an 8-bit version of a song is better than the original song something have to be wrong. The lack of fresh idea and the poor vocals is what lets this album down, it is not bad or anything like that, I think it is quite alright but there are things amiss. I would say that it is a decent album but it doesn’t ever really take of and it is too dull to be good despite its excellent ending.

HHHHHHH