The lights are white but at half-strength, giving the fog a canvas to paint and a shroud for the anonymous. Meanwhile the band builds and builds to a tense and deafening crescendo, the stage now fully illuminated and PA system at full bone-quaking power. As the band flexes and claps repeatedly like a passing thundercloud, all of a sudden the massive apex comes crashing down to reveal a single violin, melancholic and pondering. This is The Infinity Ring.
Boston’s The Infinity Ring is New England’s best kept secret, a collective who, in a short four years, has risen to the rank of live juggernaut. Though the title of their latest recorded release may indicate otherwise– ATARAXIA, or the state of tranquillity and calm– it positively lives up to the promise of their incendiary live show. ATARAXIA describes the album’s existential and personal state upon completion– a long and arduous path that nearly broke the band in the process. Built across two studios over the course of close to a year, ATARAXIA is an album that represents the exploration, the emotional toll and ultimately the ecstasy of creation. It’s a release that challenged the band to move into new realms and push themselves to the brink– musically, emotionally, creatively and spiritually..
“In the creation of ATARAXIA, we felt like we had mined so many dark spaces and ideas that in a lot of ways it had taken an extreme emotional and creative toll,” explains The Infinity Ring frontman Cameron Moretti. “We began to realize that the themes of the work had become manifest, affecting our vision, approach and ideas in a way inconsistent with our goals of catharsis. So we took some time. And in taking a pause, we gained perspective and were able to look further inward, to explore some of the turmoil and found that that the only path out was through– redemption via a beacon of light shining on the dark corners that we had created for ourselves.”
ATARAXIA’s first single “Elysium,” a regal and monolithic track that punctuates each harrowing moment with angelic choir, violin, and marching drums. “We are excited to release this single into the world, and while it’s not representative of the entire album, it’s a great taste what we have to come on ‘ATARAXIA‘ – explains Moretti talking about the nature of the opening single. “It’s a great representation of evolution– melding past Infinity Ring sounds with the new direction for ‘ATARAXIA’. We could not be more excited to present this new track and it’s visual counterpart. When Devin Davies approached us with a vague idea about this video, we were really excited. He’s always been a collaborative partner to us and we feel like we were able to get something that is representative of what we wanted.” Taking the cinematic qualities of Swans, the dramatic crescendo of Japan’s envy and the emotional heft of Philip Glass, “Elysium” is a wide angle look into the world of The Infinity Ring. It’s a bold, ambitious yet well-executed composition alternating between chaos and pensive beauty, eventually working towards an ecstatic climax before crumbling under its own majesty. Whether via your standard “rock band” configuration or utilizing noise, processed samples, keys, industrial percussion or chamber quartet, The Infinity Ring’s work has an ability to feel classical, learned and wise beyond their years.
‘ATARAXIA’ is coming out March 21 via Profound Lore Records.
Available for pre-orders from now on here.