Here’s another review from the fantastic ‘Audioscribbler’ blog -
“One thing that is plainly obvious with inFictions is that they’ve certainly listened to some good records over the years.
They don’t sound like copyists, by any stretch of the imagination, but the imprint of bands like Aereogramme and Oceansize is discernible in their quest to create vivid, mood driven music. If those bands were the last key innovators of British progressive/post/blurring-the-lines music then inFictions, alongside bands like Revere and Flights, are hopefully representing a new wave.
Nine More Lies, guitarist Ed Carteledge’s old band, had already dabbled with fantastical Buckley-esque vocals, and his voice certainly has a magnificent quiver that adds to the haunting effect that Maps of Revenge & Forgiveness tries to create. If there is a concept running through inFictions’ debut, then crime and penance must surely be it. Amidst the melancholic haze, there are occasional musical and lyrical outbursts that appear out of nowhere, like an individual going mad (“You’re still alive in a darkened cell. Chances are you’ll remain kicking at the walls ’til the end of days.”).
And inFictions’ main strength is definitely mood-setting. ‘Frozen River’ features eerie tremolo guitar next to off-beat piano chords, while ‘Laughter Track’ recalls Porcupine Tree with its inventive chord progressions and guitar interplay. Perhaps you could accuse them of labouring their crescendos slightly – by the time we reach track 6, ‘Orchards’, you feel like you’ve heard the percussive build-ups a few times already. They wind up a little bit better than they wind down.
The Yorkshire trio aren’t in a rush to burst our their collective shell, which is positive, but it also means you appreciate the intense guitar-driven climaxes of ‘The Silence of the Sea’ and ‘Line Drawings’. Maybe they should be a little more direct, after all, the beautifully melodic ‘The Cell’ is arguably the strongest track of all. Having said that, this debut is more of a whiff of what is to come than a game-changer. Their sound isn’t greatly accessible in today’s impatient musical climate, but fans of Muse, Radiohead et al should keep tabs on this band.”
Review by Jonathan Rimmer
http://www.audioscribbler.co.uk/infictions-maps-of-revenge-forgiveness/
