Year: 2023
Label: Unholy Domain Records
Rating: 8,4 / 10
I've known the Italian band INTO DARKNESS for over 10 years, as I was lucky to get acquainted with its first demo at the time, which was better than some full-length albums. Then the band somehow fell out of my sight, but recently I came across its fresh EP “Cassini-Huygens". And, of course, I couldn't but listen to it.
Over the past time, INTO DARKNESS has managed to develop its potential pretty well. The band started with Death Doom Metal, but it was immediately obvious that the doomy aspect did not quite suit it. Today, INTO DARKNESS is pure Death Metal, which, among other things, destroys some sterotypes. Firstly, the group, if anything, is led by a terribly thin, but very stern Italian girl, Doomed Warrior. And I'd say that not many men can write and play metal as powerful as she does. Secondly, as I said, the girl lives in Italy, but INTO DARKNESS does not sound Italian at all. I'm not going into the reasons why I don't like Italian metal sound, but simply say that the band plays the real iron, with a powerful, chainsaw-angry, heavy sound and killer riffs. Paradoxically, this is a testosterone mixture of the most pushy material of ASPHYX, AUTOPSY and CELTIC FROST, which was doused with 98th gasoline and inflamed. Moreover, the release has a cosmic theme, which the band managed to tie to their by no means cosmic sound with the help of samples and intelligently used melodic parts. It feels more like a battle above the surface of the planet than a journey into the depths of the universe, but maybe that was the idea.
So, we have real metal from people who understand what it is, and even know how to make it at the highest level. Just today I read that at a certain period of the existence of Ancient Egypt, iron was valued there above gold. And now INTO DARKNESS demonstrate how this can be it by their own example. Total recommendations!
English (UK) 
Крыўская