ALBUM REVIEW: Paradox Of A Broken World – Unendlich

UNENDLICH, the alter-ego chosen by Maryland based multi-instrumentalist Michael Connors, has released his fourth album Paradox Of A Broken World. Following on from 2019’s Thanatophobia, this album was recorded during the pandemic and intends to explore mankind’s hypocrisy and absurdity. Connors is but one man, could it be possible that his ideas have run dry after eight years of material or will this mark a triumphant return?

Paradox Of A Broken World is something of a frustrating beast. It opens with Wisdom Of Suffering, which blows open the doors with a ripping blast beat and a tight melodic bit of tremolo riffage, providing a vitriolic and battering slab of modern black metal and setting up the listener for what seems to be about to blossom into a harsh and excellent experience.

Unfortunately though, that never quite seems to arrive. As we move through the album, tracks like Space Of Decay or Into Abandonment sit in a very definite groove. They sit firmly around the mid pace, alternating between fairly uninspiring mid-paced riffs and some lacklustre blast beats, becoming reminiscent of the outros and mid-track melodious wanderings employed by scene stalwarts WATAIN, only to not as great an effect and for entire tracks, as opposed to reserving them for atmospheric interludes and bridges.

Moving throughout the album, it appears that this groove is where UNENDLICH have become comfortable. There are moments throughout that change things up slightly or showcase a more cohesive and engaging form, such as in the galloping riffs and wailing solos found in Inner Kill or the tremendous drumming and little discordant flashes in Mask Of The Adversary, but for the most part everything just feels a little samey.

Coming to the album’s closing moments, we find some stronger material, with Culmination Of Hate showcasing a very promising first half, and the closer and title track Paradox Of A Broken World belching out arguably the best material present on the album with icy, moody walls of tremolo, a backbone of furious drums and a neck-breaker of a mid-paced riff complete with splashy cymbals and gnawing discordant shreds. It’s a shame really, as this serves only to show what UNENDLICH can really do when he puts his mind to it and how good this album could really have been.

Pulling likeable chunks from Paradox Of A Broken World is easy, there is plenty to like about it. Unfortunately, there is definitely too much of a formula to it. The constant alternation of fast and mid-paced riffing begins to blur everything together by the album’s midway point, making the whole thing start to feel predictable and somewhat uninspired. At times it feels like a meandering outro section that never quite gets to where it needs to be. Editing could also have done an awful lot of favours here, as if this had been released as an EP comprised of only the first and last tracks, then it would have scored so much higher. Sometimes, even in black metal, less can very definitely be more, and UNENDLICH could do with realising this, as here he has provided far too much filler and nowhere near enough killer.

Rating: 6/10

Paradox Of A Broken World is out now via self-release.

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