Hell’s calling. Sounds about right these days, doesn’t it? Inferi, meaning hell in Italian and kind of the same in Latin, the band called their outfit, first seen around these parts in 2006. And yes, I heard the theories that the band moniker derives from some Harry Potter fantasy. And if true, they need to grow up. But otherwise, ’tis yet another long-standing metal band that eluded the RMR crew for long years.
There goes Archspire was the RMR crew’s first mutual thought when Heaven Wept led off into the metallic yonder. And we weren’t all that wrong with that assessment. In past lineups, there indeed was a strong connection to the latter. Together with Oubliette, yet another Tennessee-bound act. And the RMR crew detected a few lineup shifts with Malcom Pugh, the only original member, now on extended guitar duty, including the bass, and Spencer Moore (Archspire, Oubliette, there you have ’em again) getting credited for the drums for Heaven Wept, now replaced henceforth by one Nathan Bigelow.
With no split second to waste, Inferi furiously roared into their first track, The Rapture of Dead Light. That’s Technical Death Metal at an intensity very close to the new Stortregn setup. But it’s not only that, you gotta keep that moshpit happy with some variety in yer personal brutality. Thus, the band suddenly veers into Brutal Death Metal territory for a short while (Heaven Wept, for instance). Sometimes those are served with remarkably juicy breakdowns, and sometimes not. Inferi, however, returns to their usual hunting grounds relatively quickly. But for interest’s sake, they also keep breaking things up with some limited melodic interludes. With some otherworldly interventions of the Choir ov Inferi included in the fray.
The work of the axemen – Malcom Pugh and Sanjay Kumar – is simply outstanding. There’s literally nothing out of place in this astonishingly sturdy contribution of theirs. A heavy shred fest of a duo that won’t work against each other but, instead, functions as a tag team. The relatively frequent solos either come as standalone jobs or are, in certain instances, presented as dual contributions (Eternally Lie, Godless Sky). But the backbone of Heaven Wept comes from the thundering and forever morphing drum work, provided with extreme and highly technical delicacy, and Stevie Boiser‘s excellent vocal contribution. Rasps, snarls, deep-throated Death Metal growls, those flow in effortlessly with no rasta lock out of place, ever. The ancient geezers at the RMR review desk were forever fascinated by his ability to modulate his voice and perfectly adapt the vox to the tune at hand.
Ultimately, Heaven Wept turned into one of those surprises of 2026. The RMR crew ignored Inferi until now, and we wish we’d covered them earlier. That said, one gotta start somewhere, and why not with a pretty outstanding piece like this one? The record is chock-a-block with high-octane metal geekery. Tech Death is inherently difficult to play, but it is even more difficult to play without it becoming overly repetitive and robotic. And Inferi here truly found the sweet spot, that perfect balance between abject technical geekery and limited melodic injections to keep things elastic and – at times – even imbibed with a bit of groove.
And that renders the record available for newbies of truly extreme metal. Heaven Wept indeed sounds not only like a great record in and of itself. But it also oozes that sentiment of a band that had a blast making it. The things you’re able to do when you’re having fun. And Inferi here seem to be proof of that.
Record Rating: 8/10 | Label: The Artisan Era | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 10 April 2026