“The raw mixing and the stellar instrument playing puts Infernal Symphony in a league of its own. Tracks such as Contaminated Evidence, Grinded To Pulp and Coat Of Flesh brings an amazing mixture of old school and modern metal which certainly gives me EYEHATEGOD vibes…. a treat for metalheads of all ages and puts Infernal Symphony in a high place in the underground scene. Metal Blade Records or Nuclear Blast keep an eye on this talented one man band!”
– TRUE NOISE
” From the UK comes this atmospheric doom attack. Infernal Symphony[…] …strikes against Christianity and it’s horrors, specially institutionalised pedophilia.
… Demonic Bishop (the mastermind behind Infernal Symphony) deploys a full range of cold atmospheric guitars sickly tuned, and a ritualist drums, to take us into a journey to the depths of lost moors and distant spaces.”
– TERRA TENEBRIS
”This is definitely a cross-genre sound, with influences as broad and gothic as: Megadeth, Sepultura, Rob Zombie, Opeth, Slayer, Mastodon, Dream Theater and Iron Maiden…Infernal Symphony wants to bring their music into ‘The deepest, darkest depths of your soul’ and in my opinion, they are successful…[Faust] is an opus of truly epic proportions, taking an epic theme and drawing up an epic electronic orchestral chronical to accompany it. The work consists of a whopping 20 tracks with titles such as: Yearning for Burning, Seductive Decay and ending with, inevitably, Irrevocable Damnation, leaving the listener in no doubt as to the fate of the character.
This is not an album to listen to if you want sweet, memorable tunes, it is dark and disturbing; but there are people out there who are really into this kind of doom. Infernal Symphony has a clear demographic in mind. If you are even slightly put off by the artwork, track titles, general Satanic vibe, go no further; but if you like a challenge, give it a go!”
– ROOTS LIVE MUSIC
”
Album Review for Carnival Of Chaos and written portrait dedicated to mastermind and creator of Infernal Symphony, Dominic Bishop.
By Trusten Lucius, dated June 2018.
Composer
Research Analyst
Ethnomusicologist
“Chaos Is Life. Life is for the dead.”
That is a quote from infernalsymphonyuk.bandcamp.com from the page of the latest album by the mastermind and creator of Infernal Symphony, Dominic Bishop.
I’ve been meaning to do this article about Dominic Bishop for a while now. Ever since the release of the ‘Corpus Delicti’ EP in February 2018. Unfortunately due to personal illness I had to reschedule my writing of this piece. However I can say I’m relieved that I didn’t do it then because now I have the privilege and the honor of being able to do an album review of his latest album, Carnival Of Chaos.
First, let’s dive directly in for a review of the album Carnival Of Chaos.
Song number one ‘Violent Vortex’ gives you the introduction and visualisation of the chaotic whirlpool rollercoaster ride that this album is getting ready to take your brain on.
‘Eye Of A Needle’ and ‘Tunnel Fission’ are explosive songs surrounded by walls of guitars coming from all angles combined with very unique percussion patterns which is both an incredible recurring trait and feature in Infernal Symphony’s masterpieces and albums.
‘Gouging Through Madness’ slows things down a little bit with the feel of a doom type of drone in the guitar and mournful tones and sounds compiled with guitars that sound like howls and screams, shifting and shaping.
Fast-forwarding to one of my favourite songs on the album, song number 6 – ‘Destined For The Darkest Tides’, which is an absolutely brilliant piece of musical art. Full of tonal expression and has some of the most interesting timing characteristics that I’ve heard in metal in a long time.
Which brings me to this.
Ladies and gentlemen, I can write countless paragraphs about how good this particular album is, and break down each song, what I really like about it and be very specific. What I prefer to say with absolute certainty and reverence is that from “Violent Vortex’ all the way to the last song “Graveyard Of The Underworld”, this album is an absolute masterpiece from a genius, brilliant mind that hails from the United Kingdom – Dominic Bishop.
So in relation to this album review, I would also like to say a few things about Infernal Symphony in general, Dominic’s overall musical art, and his phenomenal talent.
I have listened to everything from Infernal Symphony. From the release of the album ‘Unholy Persecution’ to Carnival of Chaos. And I can tell you this is one of the most talented musical artists that is out there today. And I say that with no apology or hesitation.
Being an Ethnomusicologist I examine and inspect countless types of music and genres from around the world. Different cultures and different people. Everything from pop radio music to indigenous cultural tribal music. Researching all these different types of genres, you start to see all the similarities that they have. Not only on musical format but how they’re produced and the polished generic plastic sound that is a result thereof from countless releases from a vast amount of genres.
His complete unique originality is a key factor of what is missing from so much music today. Case in point – So many bands that are classified as metal, that take the title of metal, seem to always just be a more well-polished regurgitation of riffs, scales, melodic lines and vocal expressions that we’ve already heard. It’s just presented in a different visual package and recorded on modern day technology. That can get very monotonous and very boring. Even though those musicians are very talented in their own right, anyone who’s a highly trained musician or Composer will know exactly what I mean when I point out the monotonous plastic general sound that is poisoning our airwaves and ears today in metal.
Infernal Symphony – Dominic Bishop, in my professional opinion, possesses a special key and vibrant talent that so many people lack in today’s musical society. And that key is originality and being unique. Completely independent of conformity. Creating compositions that consist of tones and timings that are, in a sense, in natural opposition of the establishment view of what music is supposed to be defined as. A key note that relates to that is, Who uses 3/2 timings in music today? Dominic Bishop does!! (See track 6: ‘Destined For The Darkest Tides’, Carnival Of Chaos album).
Something extremely important to point out as well. With his music being instrumentals, his instrumentation ends up taking on a voice-like sound through the guitar progressions. Because his sound is so abstract and what some would consider ‘out there’ or ‘abnormal’, it makes it incredibly intriguing and extremely interesting.
The music itself is challenging to the brain and ears. From the static white noise blips that you hear that are frequently used in Infernal Symphony’s music, which I like to classify as ‘Zaps’ to the brain to keep it refreshed and focused, to the aforementioned abnormal tones and textures. As he has stated on his Bandcamp page – ‘It is not designed to be easy listening’.
The music is a challenge to the brain because WE have been programmed and hardwired to accept certain tones and frequencies. To most people, anything outside of those safe little bubbles they live in make them begin to turn away and not accept it, because it is a challenge. And in this day and age, in this generation, who really wants to be challenged?! When it comes to the majority of modern day music people don’t want to think for themselves anymore, they want the most meaningless pointless background noise that is hollow with no substance.
Dominic Bishop’s musical approach is an expression of artistic freedom that we need so desperately in our current musical society today. Expression, statement of originality, and uniqueness. Not having the mentality or desire to sound like everybody else, or to fit the mold, but to give something completely unique, completely one’s own. When you hear this music, you know it’s Infernal Symphony, Dominic Bishop, no other. No mistaking that it’s him.
I feel his music has transcended genre and that’s one of the most important things to point out and one of the many things I love about listening to Infernal Symphony. His music goes beyond genre. It is completely it’s own thing and cannot be classified or molded or put into any type of box. I highly suggest that you check out all of Infernal Symphony’s releases – Full Albums, EPs, and Singles.
Listen to them from beginning to end and I guarantee, you will learn.
Because if you can handle this rollercoaster ride of musical expression, you will come through the other side hearing something revolutionary and new. Firing up new receptors, giving your mind new thought, new sparks, new ideas for inspiration and originality and unique artistic expression.
Final thought and statement. Infernal Symphony represents this complete revolutionary sound that is the opposite of what is force-fed down our throats in a daily basis of what music is ‘supposed’ to sound like.
I opened this piece with a quote from Dominic Bishop, and so I feel that it is only fitting that I should close with one too. May I add very quickly, what a noble statement to make in a time where selfishness reigns.
“Dedicated to all who suffer from this chaos we call existence”
– TRUSTEN LUCIUS, ETHNOMUSICOLOGIST, COMPOSER AND MUSIC RESEARCH ANALYST.
Infernal Symphony 