BEYOND THE VEIL

Having been on the scene since at least 2009, the Philadelphia based iNFiNiEN has taken its sweet time in crafting its musical amalgamations that create the playground for progressive rock, jazz, soul, various styles of ethnic folk music as well as classical into an eclectic conglomeration all their own. This band has remained the constant quartet of Chrissie Loftus (vocals, piano & keyboards), Matt Hollenberg (guitars, saz, oud, electric sitar), Jordan Berger (electric & upright basses, sitar) and Tom Cullen (drums & percussion) and has only released three albums, the latest titled BEYOND THE VEIL.

With a challenging angular time signature prowess oft reserved for the world of avant-prog, iNFiNiEN prove to be masters of blending challenging prog complexities with the sensual warmth of vocal jazz and Middle Eastern scales and rhythms fronted by the divine feminine charm of Chrissie Loftus whose vocal style delivers a softening effect to an otherwise complex wealth of prog influences battling it out behind the scenes. BEYOND THE VEIL also features three guest musicians contributing violins, cello and flute. The album with eight tracks at just under 54 minutes provides an outstanding example of how to be original in the modern crowded world of progressive rock / jazz-fusion.

While many progressive rock giants from the golden age of the past have been dissected, copied and incorporated into modern prog with creative new bands reinventing classic sounds. The usual suspects of Yes, Genesis, King Crimson and even Gentle Giant seem to have influenced the entire prog world of the modern era but i haven't heard many nods to the great Italian band Area. The opening title track changes that and delivers a bouncy Balkan gypsy folk fueled groove that is right out of the Area playbook on their classic debut "Arbeit Macht Frei" but integrated with so many other influences that it's not readily apparent unless you've devoured Area's classic masterpiece a ridiculous number of times as i have!

With an impressive opening number the band excels at delivering distinct tracks that are quite diverse in terms of creativity, tones, timbres, instrumentation, time signatures and stylistic approach. Given the knotty time signature workouts that frequently punctuate the flow, i'm often reminded of Thinking Plague as Loftus has that Elaine di Falco playfulness and the vocal prowess to pull off some amazing octave leaps as well as improvisational vocal jazz scatting. In fact it's Loftus' vocals that really allow the music to bloom given a limited vocal style would keep the musical creativity in a certain box or worse sound awkward. Somehow the band balances avant-prog complexities with symphonic prog atmospheres, jazzy chord progressions, classical piano rolls and ethnic, mostly Middle Eastern and Indian rhythms and sound effects.

Despite the ominous album cover which looks like something a technical black metal band would release in the 2020s, BEYOND THE VEIL is actually quite light and breezy for the majority of its playing time. The track "Ascent" for example allows a classical piano run accompanied by symphonic instrumentation to simulate a true ascension into the higher realms with jazzy bass and drums, flutes and a contrapuntal guitar that offers a bit of danger that threatens to derail the journey. The music is masterful in that it's soulful and playfully complex simultaneously. The production is quite excellent as well with a stellar mixing job not to mention the competency of the musicianship which is beyond impressive.

With tracks titled "Gratitude" and "Prayer," iNFiNiEN delivers a healthy dose of positivity as a theme over the intricate musical workouts. Shamefully i have never experienced this band until this release but after experiencing this fine blend of musical styles, i am certainly interested in exploring further. Unique and exquisitely performed BEYOND THE VEIL is the epitome of a modern prog smorgasbord that keeps you enthralled for the entirety of its playing time, not an easy feat to achieve.