Album Review: Infinite & Divine - Silver Lining

There was a time not that long ago when if you hear a woman in a metal band, she was almost always going to be put into the role of a siren, with a beautifully classical voice being used as a counterweight to the band's heaviness. That sound has some appeal, I guess, but I have been quite pleased to see that as the number of women in metal increases, so to does the range they are taking on. In the case of Infinite & Divine, Tezzi Lead has a powerful voice that brings in hints of classic Bonnie Tyler. Her voice has a lovely tone, and is the clear highlight of the album.

Like a lot of new bands, there are growing pains to be heard on this record. For one thing, this is at least the third time already this year I've run across an album with a song sharing the same name as the band itself. I don't know if that has something to do with the assembly line nature of music in certain places, or if it speaks to a lack of creativity, but it's a little thing that puts doubt in my mind.

There's also the fact that being new, the members of the band haven't yet fully found their songwriting voice. They have a sound that takes many of the tones of the 80s, but gives them a heavier edge. That's quite nice, but across these eleven songs the quality of the melodic writing ebbs and flows. They have a good sound and a very good singer, but the hooks aren't always standing out and demanding my attention. On the aforementioned namesake song, the hook is solid and sturdy enough to be a fist-raising moment, but that feeling doesn't come across often enough.

Part of that comes from the production choices, like how on "Keep On Moving" there are barely any backing vocals when the chorus comes along. I get that Tezzi's voice is supposed to be the centerpiece, but adding more layers is integral to making the bigger moments sound big, especially when you're competing with metal guitars. Psychologically, it's harder to get the audience invested in singing along with the song if they only hear the one voice. Backing vocals not only sound more substantial, they invite the listener to participate. Or at least that's my philosophy.

There are some really good moments, and I hear a future star in Tezzi. The longer the album plays, the more I find myself loving her voice. That actually is the biggest issue I have with the record; they don't put her front and center enough. She is clearly the appeal to the band, and the mix of the album puts the guitars (and the synths when they're around) just as loud as her. She needs to be even more present, so we can hear clearly the work she is putting in, and what makes this band different from their competition.

"Silver Lining" is a mixed bag of an album, which is what I expect out of a new band like this. They have talent, and they have the best selling point they could in Tezzi, but they need some refinement in their songwriting, and in how they balance the elements of their sound in a mix. If they can get a little help upping the melodic ante, their future could be very bright. At the very least, I'm looking forward to Tezzi's inevitable guest appearances on other records. She's got something.