Review by Jack on August 19, 2003.

The cover of "Numb," the latest album from Linea 77, put some odd preconceptions into my head. Two bubble headed fellows that look as though they belong in a 7am cartoon meant for kids before they head off to school transposed onto a perfectly white background doesn't do wonders for me.

However, that being said the music of "Numb" is pretty decent and runs a fine gamut of distinctively Latin flavoured indigenous music (vocals contributing heavily to this feature), hardcore, thick guitar melodies, punk rock, splices of hip-hop and quirky samples. Very experimental and very 'odd,' "Numb" is not a record that will grab you by the nuts and haul you in straight away. For the more seasoned metalheads amongst us, this material is very mainstream sounding, and quite an acquired taste. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't like it much to begin with. I just haven't been exposed to too much material like this before. However, after a few solid days of listening I really started to get into the fresh Latin grooves.

Normally I wouldn't give this sort of genre the time of day. That in itself says that Linea 77 differ from the greedy packs nipping at their heels. "Numb" is a record full of diversity and enough oddities and kookiness to make it worth checking out if you are in need of a quick shot of adrenaline.

Bottom Line: A decisively Mediterranean feel mixed with some thumping hardcore with authoritative melody makes for a pretty spiffy combination in my books, and "Numb" is no exception. Linea 77 should be pretty chuffed with their output.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 7
Atmosphere: 6.5
Production: 8
Originality: 7.5
Overall: 8

Rating: 7.4 out of 10

Review by Felix on January 20, 2024.

Only in a limited number of cases, metal bands get the attention they deserve. Unfortunately, Infinity is not among these groups. Although the band reliably delivers black metal that leaves no desires unfulfilled, their outputs seem to be overlooked by the majority of the genre supporters. This is a pity, because the slightly melodic black metal of the Dutch gang is certainly worth discovering. To clarify the label "melodic black metal", I am not speaking about symphonic sounds, keyboards or beautiful female voices. The genre-typical yet interesting melodies are created by the guitars and they cause a dark and desperate atmosphere. While finding the right balance between harmonies and velocity, the band always keeps an eye on a conclusive overall impression. The two musicians celebrate genuine black metal that needs no infusion with foreign stylistic devices.

You notice this as soon as you read the song titles. Fairly epic names like "The Legend of the Sunken Monastery" or "Within the Timeless Winds of the Beyond" are without doubt a reference to the tradition of bombastic titles such as "A Sign for the Norse Hordes to Ride" or "Cosmic Keys to My Creations & Times". Nevertheless, the guys of Infinity do not offer corny riffs or melodies that have been heard a thousand times before. Believe me, the songs do not leave a stale taste. The opposite is true. The Dutch present an acceptable collection of freshly produced tracks. Their black brew can be best compared with the timeless music of Dissection´s first albums. While considering this situation, it is consequently only logical that they cover "Night´s Blood". And not only due to their technical skills, it comes as no surprise that they do it in a dignified manner. Despite of this fact, the here presented full-length does not fully match Dissection´s outstanding level of brilliance.

Some may say that the album has become somewhat long. I beg to differ. Admittedly, the sound collage "Choronzon" is fairly redundant. But apart from that minor flaw, the band has a good sense for exciting song structures. This ensures that boredom is banished. A successful example is "The Rise of Azazel". After starting with playful guitar tones, the song turns to a harsh up-tempo number. This alone may not be very unusual, but the guys demonstrate how to link the different parts in an almost perfect manner. Reflecting this, it does not matter that, for instance, the deep and rough vocals do not appear as an outstanding feature. I would like to categorize them as usual black metal vocals. And this is fine with me. But there is a small problem with the production. The album´s sound is dark and gloomy, but it lacks a bit of power. It´s not a big deal, but it leaves room for improvement.

Especially band leader and multi-instrumentalist Balgradon Xul is evidently capable to capture the obscure spirit of the genre without making any lame compromises. According to this, the motto of the band is "Black metal is intolerance". To be honest, I appreciate this kind of narrow-mindedness. Furthermore, I would like to emphasize that the musicians comply with this specification. They enrich the European underground while delivering a plausible and honest product and having the right attitude. And that is exactly what counts.

Rating: 7.8 out of 10