The line between reverence and shameless copying is magnificently thin. Across all forms of music, we see loads of names pop up all over with their own visions and aspirations yet there are just as many, if not more, of those that seek to leech off the success of another band in the hopes of gaining notoriety and intrigue despite doing minimal work. When it comes to metal, that’s fortunately a rare sight. Every now and then, however, we’re met with a sight that can very easily make one think which of the two is at play in the given scenario. Determining which we’re dealing with can easily come down to splitting hairs, and even when we make a final decision not everything can be clear, set in stone, nor agreed upon by others. I’ve little doubt that such a debate will surround Infinite Misery and its debut EP which has already started quite the conversation.

The cover art alone is more than enough to tell you what band Infinite Misery is taking immense inspiration from. It’s the sort of thing that is so unashamed of where its derived from that the comparison is obvious, and much like like bands like Gruesome make no mystery as to their in-your-face worship of bands like Death, it’s here that Infinite Misery does the same for post-Barnes Cannibal Corpse. Already, the arrival of Infinite Misery has caused a mild stir online, and I do not blame anyone for having a reaction that ranges from skeptical to aggressive dismissal. The line between an outright copy and reverential continuation is an extremely fine line that moves wildly from one listener’s perspective to the next. It’s with their first EP, “Altar of Extracted Teeth”, that Infinite Misery takes its first big steps forward with the results as promising as they are indicative of what this band is going for.

Dealing with a situation like this, I cannot help but find myself in a bit of a conundrum: do I review this effort as a work that stands on its own two legs or look upon it as a third party recreation of Cannibal Corpse? It’s a real head scratcher, personally. That being said with whatever the correct is, I cannot deny that I did thoroughly enjoy what Infinite Misery threw down in these five utterly unrelenting tracks.

From the get-go, it’s clear that Infinite Misery knew exactly what they were doing with this creation. “Altar of Extracted Teeth” has so many of the hallmarks of the era that Infinite Misery is pulling from, and it demands to be made clear that they’re pulling it all to tremendous effect! Thick rhythms, undeniable ferocity, and a frenetic energy that’s nigh on intoxicating right from the very beginning, this is an EP that held nothing back with its vision crystal-clear. It’s straightforward and downright unapologetic for what it is. Yet, I cannot shake the feeling that Infinite Misery still makes this performance their own despite it being heavily entrenched in its inspiration. “Altar of Extracted Teeth” is but the beginnings of what we have seen from Infinite Misery, and whatever your opinion might be of the work it’s hard to argue that these pieces of absolute aural carnage are a damn good time for death metal and well-crafted at that. Whatever goal Infinite Misery had in mind when making this EP, it ought to be made known far and wide that this creation does more than enough justice to the very legacy of Cannibal Corpse through the tricky medium of veneration through imitation.

This EP could have gone in so many different directions. All too easily could Infinite Misery have done a literal beat-for-beat recreation of something that could have been found in the albums of “Kill” or “Evisceration Plague”, but I cannot shake the feeling that they refused to be that simplistic and boring with their approach. By all accounts, the imagery, sound, and mentality that “Altar of Extracted Teeth” boasts is taking a lot from Cannibal Corpse, but never once does it feel as though this effort is bereft of passion, nuance, and a deep understanding for what make those inspirational albums inspiration in the first place.

Infinite Misery doesn’t make their sound feel like a hollow copycat, but, rather, worship and adoration in the form of perpetuation of the sound. Personally, I feel like that’s a job well done with more than enough room for vigorous and wondrous expansion.

LISTEN to “Altar of Extracted Teeth” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Infinite Misery on Facebook here.

FOLLOW Infinite Misery on Instagram here.