About a decade and a half ago, I left a job I adored in an industry I (at the time) loved at a place I revered. It was overtaken by some humans and a philosophy that are diametrically opposed to me, and one of the best things I ever did was leave. It changed my life for the better even though it hurt me deeply to do what was so obvious.
“Infinite Illuminastion” is the final record from Spirit Adrift, something that actually made all the sense in the world to me. Band creator Nate Garrett spawned this project after he left Take Over and Destroy, got clean, and reimagined his thrust into metal. But the music business, like most, fucks you in the end. Something from your heart is turned into a “product” and commodified. Which defies true, genuine art. So Spirit Adrift, rounded out by guitarist Jason Dahlke, bassist Sonny DeCarlo, drummer Mike Arellano, deliver this final opus, an eight-track, 46-minute display that nicely ties together the band’s early, epic days with what followed, which was shorter, tighter writing. It’s a really fitting conclusion.
The title track opens, acoustics brushing before everything comes to life, Garrett calling, “Open my eyes so I may see.” The chorus brings calm before psyche warmth energizes your system, the leads lather, and moody, humid winds soothe before everything blasts back to life. “Window Within” is punchy and stirring, the heat rising, the singing bursting with energy as the soloing catches fire. The pace gets muddier, leads churning as its electric chorus glimmers and powers. “You Will Never Hold the Key” sparks with acoustics, the tempo picking up and driving, Garrett calling, “Your great reward will never be,” over the chorus. The playing heats as twin guitars glow, the track taking on an epic feel, the melting leads bringing illumination. The singing stretches as the dramatic synth reminds of “Seventh Son” fantasies, trickling slowly before pumping again, burning into oblivion. “Born in a Bad Way” is a total change of pace, going heavier and filthier, burly doom flexing sinew as the guitars smoke. The pace toughens further, menacing riffs churning as the final moments bleed out.
“Buried in the Shadow of the Cross” has a spacey start, guitars menacing, rich singing snarling as the riffs encircle. The aura gets tense, guitars fire and give off exhaust, and bluesy licks explode with attitude as Garrett’s laughs echo. “White Death” stomps, the vocals powering, riffs slipping and sneering, the guitars melting into Sabbath territory. The soloing melts as the playing pummels, shifting cosmically and growing frigid as doom marches away. “I Am Sustained” brawls, the slower, mid-paced beating unfurling, the playing eventually ramping up and glimmering. The guitars burst as the colors rush, injecting spirit into veins, everything coming to a burly end. Closer “Where Once There Was an Ocean” feels fantastical as it starts, leads dawning and storming, the vocals muscling through a psychedelic finish. The pace stomps harder as the leads slide into a washed-out haze, the imagery conjuring something just like the album’s cover art. The pace toughens and mashes, releasing thrashy fire, punching out into eternal blackness.
“Infinite Illumination” is a triumphant final chapter for this band, one that spent its six-album run gradually morphing into their ultimate version. It’s sad to lose a band as powerful and consistent as Spirit Adrift, whose music always was strong and honest, and their last record is a testament to that strength. We’re lucky to have the music Garrett and his co-conspirators have made over the years, and hopefully what lies ahead in the future is positive and fulfilling, something the music business rarely offers.
For more on the band, go here: https://spiritadrift.bandcamp.com/
To buy the album, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/collections/spirit-adrift
For more on the label, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/
Meat Mead Metal 