Album Review: Ad Infinitum — Chapter II - Legacy
Artist: Ad Infinitum
Album: Chapter II — Legacy
Genre: Symphonic/Power Metal
Released: October 2021
Album length: 56:48/15 tracks (including one orchestral and two instrumental tracks)
Background
Ad Infinitum is a crowd-funded band from Switzerland. Their line-up comprises Melissa Bonny (vocals), Adrian Theßenvitz (guitar), Niklas Müller (drums), and Korbinian Benedict (bass).
The band is a fantastic example of symphonic metal, with their first album, Chapter I - Monarchy, catapulting them onto the scene in 2020. This time-travelling album includes Ad Infinitum classics such as See You In Hell and Marching on Versailles. Chapter I is set in the time of the Black Death and Louis XIV, touching on the disparity between rich and poor; the callousness of the rich, safe in their ivory towers as the poor perish and revolt.
Chapter II has another historical theme. This time, it’s Vlad the Impaler (Vlad Dracula), which the spikes on the album art allude to. There are thought-provoking questions about good and evil popping up yet again. Let’s jump in!
The track breakdown
On repeat: Unstoppable, Afterlife, Son of Wallachia
Skip it: None (and I never say that)
For the gym (150+ BPM): Unstoppable, Inferno, My Justice, Your Pain
Reinvented immediately brings back the symphonic magic from Chapter I. The cadence of this song is really fun, and you get to hear Bonny’s vocal range from the start. Not only is she a mezzo-soprano, but she has incredible guttural vocals too. It’s a delight to hear how she weaves these two together, which is apparent throughout the album and a treat to listen to.
While Reinvented starts well with symphonic vibes, it’s missing a proper feature of Theßenvitz’s impeccable guitar skills. Overall though, it’s an awesome track; it just had a lot to live up to after Chapter I’s opener, Infected Monarchy, which was one of my top 2021 tracks. It didn’t reach that peak for me.
Unstoppable is just that. This is the lead single from Chapter II, and it encapsulates the album perfectly in just one track. The lyrics on Unstoppable are powerful, motivational, and typical Bonny songwriting. That’s one thing I really appreciate about Ad Infinitum; their lyrics have always spoken to me.
There’s an incredible atmosphere to this track, and Theßenvitz’s shredding into a genuinely stunning solo makes this a stand-out track for me. The overlay of Bonny’s angelic vocals and her growling is a real treat. A must-listen.
Tonight I write my name with fire and
I sentence my fears to die!
Inferno is a really interesting track. Bonny’s soulful vocals on this are absolutely beautiful, and the chorus is super catchy. Benedict’s low-tuned bass peeking through is a great detail too.
The song underwhelmed me a little on my first listen. Then Theßenvitz brought in an absurdly good solo that perfectly contrasted Bonny’s vocals. She sings fairly low register to start with compared to the style we’re used to, so when he comes in with a soaring guitar solo, it takes the song up to another level. Although Unstoppable is up there, this is probably my favourite Ad Infinitum solo. Truly mind-boggling.
There’s also a neat tone shift or two throughout that add a little extra to the song. Again, Bonny’s songwriting is on point, and this song ties perfectly into the first album, with the same theme of good and evil running throughout.
This is one of the growl-free tracks on the album.
How do you keep your head high? Tell me what you see in the mirror
How can you stand the presence of the devil’s eyes?
Always dreaming of greatness but you’re just a simple man
Forsaken by the angels, staring at the gates of the inferno
Your Enemy comes in with metalcore vibes, and Benedict’s bass on this track almost feels djenty. It’s radically different to anything else we’ve heard from Ad Infinitum. If I heard the intro to this on the radio, I would have no idea it was a track from them! And that’s pretty cool.
Bonny’s voice beautifully contrasts the low-tuned guitars, and then we get a colossal tone shift as we move into a verse of guttural growling. The chorus is catchy, yet again with growls and clean vocals layered to add a little extra magic. They write awesome hooks. Your Enemy is an amazing creation.
Afterlife was the second single from Chapter II, and it’s a stunning duet with Nils Molin of Dynazty. The atmosphere in this song is palpable, assisted by the harpsichord, and this is the best that symphonic metal gets. It was a little unexpected for me, as I was expecting it to be a track full of growls, but it’s a clean vocal track.
The contrast between Bonny and Molin’s voices is initially stark, but as the song develops, you see just how well their voices work together. Listen carefully, and you’ll also spot how Molin whips out incredible wails in the final chorus that are higher than Bonny’s.
There’s an intense tone shift in the middle as we delve into the darkness that Ad Infinitum creates. Afterlife is a fantastic track that’s regularly jammed in my brain jukebox!
And you pray day after day
For a second chance in the afterlife
See the flames coming your way
And ablaze the sky tonight
Breathe showcases Bonny’s stunning angelic vocals. This track throws in a solo that matches and almost cuts off Bonny’s vocals until she vocalises higher than the soaring guitar. Damn! That guitar interjection comes out of nowhere, it’s not formulaic, and it’s a powerful, novel addition that makes you listen.
I think this track will have to grow on me, though, as I almost find it boring aside from the attention-grabbing vocal-to-guitar part. I’m sure I’ll read this back in a few months and be like, “Wow, what were you on about?” It’s a good track, but it’s not Unstoppable.
Animals was Chapter II’s third single, and it has an awesome intro. Bonny’s vocal tone here is absolutely delightful, and it drags you into the track with bared claws. There’s a neat riff on the verses, too. She throws in some growls towards the end, which adds nicely to the animals theme! We get a spoken and growled verse with heavy distortion, moving into a cool instrumental. It’s a clever construction.
On first listen, I gave this song a 6/10. It lacks a lot of the atmosphere of the other singles in the first stripped-back verse, even though the symphonic elements are there from the start. The chorus is another shockingly catchy one. If you’ve never danced to metal before, now’s the time.
Into the Night pulls you into the track with a banging intro, a quiet moment, and suddenly Bonny’s growls are thrown in. I love the way she blends the growls perfectly into her clean vocals; it’s a track I’d love to hear live, just to see the magic! This is the heaviest track so far on the album, and it’s got the same tone shift and metalcore/djent vibes we saw on Your Enemy. It’s an excellent track.
Son of Wallachia was immediately my favourite new song I heard when I played this album. “Here comes the rain one more time, but hope shines bright here in my heart” opens the verse. Bonny’s vocals on this are the perfect way to make you cry like a baby while listening to metal.
The guitar solo is a gorgeous fit too, and the way everything dips away to showcase it before building back up to Bonny’s vocals is a lovely touch. I think if they’d gone for a suuuper soaring guitar solo here like Inferno, I’d be regularly losing my composure on public transport. So, thanks for tempering my emotions a bit!
I’m happy to say this track is one of my favourite Ad Infinitum songs. I wish they’d opened the album with this track as it has the same emotional, powerful energy of Infected Monarchy.
And I hope someday this place will feel the same
So I can call it home again, call it home again
There’s an orchestral version too, which is the last track on the album. I prefer the original because it’s got the perfect intensity to fit the song.
My Justice, Your Pain is a real tone shift from Son of Wallachia, and you do need a bit of a pick-me-up after those emotions! This song has happy vibes, with a growled bridge. The segue into the perky, catchy chorus from the dark, “I’ll watch you when you will go down for your crimes, and I sure will smile when you will beg for your life”, is revolutionary. This track makes me want to dance. I hate dancing. This is symphonic metal! How?! My Justice, Your Pain gets a huge yes from me!
I’ll always try to reach for the stars
To break my chains and fly, oh no
Followed by the ghosts from the past
Trying to reach me, I’m too fast
Haunted has the intro I like to hear from Ad Infinitum. This track gives me Kamelot vibes with the atmospherics and Müller’s speed drumming. This would have been a super cool duet with Tommy Karevik! The harpsichord and low-tuned bass sound amazing on this track, too, really adding to the feel. I really like this track, but I wish it were a little longer to fit in a guitar solo.
Lullaby closes the album (ignoring the instrumental/orchestral versions). Immediately I thought, “I want this to be full of growling to be ironic”, and guess what? That’s precisely where they went with this. Vocally, it’s the heaviest album on the track, which I think is a fabulous little twist. It’s got progressive metal/djent accents, and it’s an awesome track to end the album on.
Ad Infinitum released an acoustic version of Chapter I called Chapter I Revisited, and I hope they do that with this album. I think they could make Lullaby a completely clean track to take it in a different direction. Lyrically, it works for both!
There are instrumental versions of Unstoppable and Inferno on the album, which are cool to listen to, but they feel so empty without Bonny’s vocals. I typically love instrumental tracks, but once you’ve heard them with lyrics, they don’t sound right!
In summary
Ad Infinitum is one of my favourite bands, so I had very high hopes for this album. Chapter I left me enthralled with the band, and it was my album for 2020 and 2021! After hearing Unstoppable and Afterlife, I was utterly restless with excitement for this album to be released. I was staring at the clock, waiting for it to drop on Spotify at midnight!
It’s an incredible album, and I think it’s a great introduction to the band if you’ve not listened to Chapter I (go and listen to Chapter I). This album manages to marry different genres like metalcore and symphonic metal in such a compelling way.
Chapters I and II have incredibly empowering lyrics, which deeply speak to me. The best thing about Bonny’s songwriting is that you can apply her lyrics to anything you’re going through. Escaping a bad relationship? Rebuilding your life after abuse? Revenge fantasies? Dealing with life shit? Check. There’s the perfect harmony of angry growls and heart-rending vocals to fit whatever emotions you’re going through.
My only real complaint is that I feel like they used up the best, impactful guitar solos early on, which add so much to symphonic metal. They always build a story and atmosphere even though their songs are typically sub-four minutes, which is tricky to achieve in this genre.
For me, Chapter I is more atmospheric and has stronger symphonic metal vibes (leaning into power metal at times). It’s like a book that drags you in, and you can’t put down, in album form. Chapter II is somehow more upbeat and heavier, and it displays Bonny’s range better as she’s thrown in much more growling, and her high-low contrast is starker. They both have pros and cons, so it’s almost a tie in my mind. They complement each other very well, and Ad Infinitum is a band I’m so pleased I discovered.
Regardless of what I’ve said in this review and the ‘negatives’ I’ve mentioned, I’m sure I’m going to love every single track by next week.
Album rating: 9/10
