The Czech Inferno release their ninth album, The Anthropic Sophisms (On the Heights of Despair), a record that works like a “cleanse” from melodic music. The band plays atmospheric, experimental black metal without a conventional song structure.
Country: Czech Republic (Czechia)
Genre: Dissonant Black Metal / Experimental Doom Metal (Harsh Vocals)
For fans of: Blut Aus Nord, Portal, Oranssi Pazuzu, Thou
Release date: July 17, 2026
Label: Debemur Morti Productions
The album has four long tracks that work like soundscapes. The production is heavy and claustrophobic, with sounds that “drown” the listener — as if you were lost inside an underwater cave. The vocals are whispers that are hard to make out, giving a sense of mystery. Sheafraidh‘s drums alternate blast beats with strange grooves, though without giving rhythm, instead falling on the listener from all sides.
In the middle of “Fission of the Soul” an orchestral touch is heard, while in “Dekranos Katexochen” a doom passage with melodic synth is the most beautiful moment of the record. A little later, the band returns to classic black metal with tremolo, before closing with a terrifying synth. Despite the record being only forty-one minutes, it sounds enormous and deliberately hard to “read”.
The Anthropic Sophisms is at once beautiful and threatening. Its only drawback is that it lacks the clarity of their other records. The heavy production keeps the details hidden, but seeking them out is worth the effort for anyone with patience.
Recommended tracks: Fission of the Soul, Dekranos Katexochen (Mých smrtí je bezpočet, mých nemocí mnoho)
Final score: 6.8/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Inferno:
– Adramelech (vocals)
– Ska-Gul (guitars)
– Morion (guitars)
– Sheafraidh (drums)
– Matron Thorn (keys, vocals)
