Review

Infanteria’s Patriarch makes up for its platitudes with examples of glorious musicianship

Having represented South Africa at Wacken Open Air and opened for Killswitch Engage and Trivium, expectation and anticipation was always going to be high for Infanteria to deliver something brilliant with Patriarch – something they achieve in parts with some songs soaring with sonic glory while others settle for thrashy platitudes.

Dime-a-dozen numbers like “Raging Bastards” and “Embrace the Trauma” opt for scathing familiarity with copy-and-paste riffs and beats taking the ears on furiously predictable journeys that stick to beaten paths with unshakable conviction.

Picking up the slack, though, are epics such as “Swansong” and “Patriarch” that are more fluid in their identities and dare to mix their tropes up with forays into other parts of the sonic spectrum. 

Without the restraint of having to blast through to the end as quickly and ferociously as possible, these longer-than-average songs have the freedom to grow into singular entities that aren’t bound by the conventions of their more generic peers.

It’s in these tracks where Infanteria come into their own and earn the right to call themselves a progressive thrash metal band. These displays of brilliant and dynamic musicianship justify the group’s burgeoning list of accolades and, ultimately, set Patriarch apart from most thrash releases.

Feature pic supplied by artist