It has been quite a few years since the last Infernal Legion album, but the long-running U.S. death metal band has returned to deliver another dose of Satanic gospel with Under the Cloven Hoof. But even with the length of time that’s passed since 2011’s The Spear of Longinus it’s clear that these guys are still doing what they do best, which is writing dense death metal riffs with leads that have a slight black metal edge. Under the Cloven Hoof may stick to a familiar sound, but Infernal Legion once again does it justice with some scorching leads and hellish vocals.
Where a lot of death metal bands have been oriented towards speed, Infernal Legion has always had a tendency to write mid-tempo tracks that break into faster riffing at key moments. That’s once again the case on Under the Cloven Hoof, and whether you’ve heard any of their previous material or not there’s sure to be a sense of familiarity to the riffing. At the heart of the group’s sound is dense, bottom heavy riffing that recalls a number of classic American death metal bands, but you’ll find that some of that icy black metal tonality seeps into the guitar leads throughout the course of the album. The instrumentals definitely do this style justice, and the regular changes in tempo keep each song feeling different enough from the last to catch your attention. Tracks like “In Hell We Reign” are great examples of the material at its best, as the fine line between black and death metal riffing results in some killer hooks. But the band’s decision to have three interludes (which includes sound clips from Lords of Salem) is a bit puzzling, as it adds a little too much filler to what is already a fairly brief album.
Josh Smith’s vocals were one of my favorite elements of Infernal Legion’s last full length and that still holds true here, as he has one of those truly demonic sounding growls. Even with some of the murkier production elements every single growl hangs over the recording with a menacing presence, and it really works to the group’s advantage. When it comes to death metal, the more distorted and intense the vocal performance the better, and that’s exactly what Under the Cloven Hoof has to offer.
Infernal Legion’s fourth effort feels just a bit too short, but there is still enough meat to the songwriting to keep listeners interested. They may not be trying to deviate that far from their established sound, but after all of these years these guys still nail that old-school death metal style and there are some stand-out riffs that keep this release from feeling too run of the mill. Under the Cloven Hoof is out now on Moribund Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to share it with others to help us grow. You can also like and follow us on the social media of your choice with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and support us on Patreon.