Review by Saxy S for Inanna - Void of Unending Depths (2022)

A Chilean progressive death metal album that is anything but uninspired. The band labels this album and the band in general as being a three part hybrid of the "70s prog-rock heroes" of lead guitarist Diego Ilabaca, early technical death metal giants like Death and Atheist, and the brutality of Suffocation, Gorguts and Morbid Angel. 

The first thing that strikes my interest is the compositions. For many years I have had issue with technical death metal acts having a number of different ideas or motifs that have been tied together by only the thinnest of hog ties, but Inanna have very little of that here. The albums slower moments such as "Evolutionary Inversion" and "Far Away in Other Spheres" are well balanced in how the incorporate technical abundance and having it so it compliments the section directly before it. This is made ever more impressive when it happens on "Mind Surgery". 

Death metal is not known for it soaring guitar melodies, but the leitmotifs that we do get out of the guitars also contribute to an albums cohesiveness. The brutality of the instrumentals are well established, but do not go by the wayside due to a lack of theme as so many other tech-death albums have been known to do in the past for me.

One thing Inanna did not take away from Pestilence or Atheist was their compact compositions. Every track extends pass six minutes with a couple surpassing ten and it can feel like some tracks drag on for far too long, especially those ten-plus minute ones. They can quickly diverge into meandering sessions while the band figures what the hell to do next. As well, the album does not end the best with "Cabo de Hornos". It tries to be more atmospheric and invoke ethereal nature, which over the death metal palette sounds cool, but forces the album to lose momentum. Also, Void of Unending Depths is yet another H.P. Lovecraft inspired wankfest, which does not help the closing tracks comparisons to Blut Aus Nord's album from earlier in the year, but also the album as a whole losing some creative points.

Overall, I think Inanna's newest record is a very solid one. As someone who has been overly harsh towards technical death metal in the past, Void of Unending Depths is a very well executed display of how melody can be implemented in a genre known for overvaluing brutality. But loses points for a lack of focus, and a tired concept.

Best Songs: Evolutionary Inversion, Far Away in Other Spheres, Mind Surgery