Album Review: "Cauchemar" by Inire

It is a testament to the complexity of their sound a band named Inire, which is the Latin word for "peace" would deliver a bellicose album titled Cauchemar, the French word for "nightmare". 

Truly the five men of Inire have descended from the Quebec region of the Great White North with the intent of conquering the metal landscape.

Inire has a sound which crosses the boundaries between groove metal, metalcore and nu metal with a distinct traditional heavy metal vibe.  Strong musical similarities can be drawn between Inire and genre giants such as Devil You Know and Killswitch Engage.

There were other moments throughout the album which were vaguely reminiscent of Deftones.  These forbearers provide a structure only, as Inire builds on these influences to provide a unique tapestry of sounds.

The songs are well crafted with depth and several intricate layers.  If it is accurate to describe Inire as metalcore, it is a progressive metalcore, which requires several listens to fully appreciate.



Inire

The album was, somewhat unusually, produced, mixed and mastered by their drummer Chris Bonavia. So it comes as no surprise the songs are consistently hurled forward with a pace an energy dictated by Bonavia's precision beats in lock step with the galloping bass riffs of Fred B. Simard. The backline is a standout feature of the album.

The twin guitar attack of Dim Gervais and John Laflamme weave in and out of grooving metal riffs punctuated by searing solos. The vocals of Dre Versailles are powerful and clear, sometimes aggressive and at others anthemic.

The album is solid throughout, but I particularly like the track "Hell Is Us", which is a premium example of the band's strong lyrical content ,bold melodies and relentless crushing riffs.  Similarly, "Lord of the Flies", which appropriately for a band hailing from Quebec opens with a passage in French, before thundering into a powerful groove.  The title track "Cauchemar" is also a haunting ode to angst, anxiety and the dark side of the psyche.

Inire has delivered a strong album, which is both a credit to their genre and a resounding statement regarding the quality of the Canadian metal scene.

Release Date: November 18, 2016
Label:  Self Released
Genre:  Progressive Metalcore, Groove Metal, Nu Metal

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