REVIEW: Genune - Infinite Presence

There are few bands who can execute long tracks so effortlessly yet interestingly, so as to keep their audience engaged and on their toes for the whole duration, as Genune. Hailing from Cluj-Napoca in Romania and founded in 2012 by Dragoș Chiricheș (guitars, synths, acoustic guitar), who was then joined by Cosmin Farcău (guitars), István Vladăreanu (bass, vocals), Abel Păduret (drums) and Victor Neicutescu (vocals), the band started gaining more attention in 2018 and since then found themselves in the genre of atmospheric post-black metal.

On Infinite Presence, the band’s third full-length album, the members explore the themes of time, consciousness, identity, and existence through a modernist poet's lens, delving deeper into an introspective journey that was foreshadowed by the band’s previous albums, giving us different perspectives of remembrance and gratitude throughout six tracks.

The first three tracks are all very energetic, with the first two having similar melodies, and the third one being little different. 'The Sun Will Always Shine' and 'Little Fountains' start with quick drum work, before transitioning into more relaxed bridge, giving the listeners space to explore the soundscape of the songs. Combining screaming with clear vocals, the band creates changing atmosphere within the tracks, making the listeners explore their music throughout their feelings and emotions. On the other hand, the third track on the album, 'Stay a Little Longer', begins a little differently, putting more emphasis onto the guitars yet shifting it onto drums during the song. During the song we're introduced to some synths, a new sound on the album, that sound very urgent as they start to morph into unpleasant sounds towards the end of the song.

One track on the album is set to grab the listener’s attention immediately, and it is the title track 'Infinite Presence'. Starting off quite differently to the rest, we get a beautiful acoustic guitar, providing a stark contrast to the heavy sounding drums and electric guitars on the other tracks. Containing no vocals, the song’s purpose could be either to reminisce about one’s own presence, achievements and goals, or simply to provide a little breather from the long tracks and running lengths, to absorb the melodies and sounds of the past songs.

After this particular track, we are left with two more songs on the album, 'To Not Grow Old' and 'I Want You Here'. This fifth track starts off very swiftly again, giving us the atmospheric sound of drums and guitars. The song sounds like an ordinary black metal piece, until out of nowhere, we get to hear some very prominent synths that evoke the 80s and 90s and are complimented by the ongoing guitars and drums, creating an immersive blend of sounds, that is entrancing to listen to. At the end, the song transitions straight into 'I Want You Here', which continues with the outstanding riffs and drums. The track is over nine minutes in run time, making it the longest on the album, and although the beginning is impressive, there is nothing standout about the song until the end, when we get some soft ending melodies, making it a little harder to stay through the whole song.

Although the album has only six tracks, they all are long enough to have to make time to listen to them. Some of the tracks are very repetitive, and apart from a bridge now and then, there is not much going on to keep the listeners engaged for the span of the time. The addition of occasional synths, however, makes the listening experience more exciting, as well as the well executed drum work and guitar work. It is a well-made album with an interesting message to tell and is a good choice to listen to for anyone, who likes to discover new sounds in their music.

Score: 6/10

Infinite Presence was released on May 17th via Consouling Sounds.

Words: Katerina Stepanikova

Photos: Genune