INHALO - SEVER

A deeply impressive musical journey revolving around anxiety and its debilitating impact. One of the finest albums of 2022, and certainly one of the best debut albums I have heard in a long time.

One of the huge pleasures of doing this type of (unpaid) work is that of listening to brand new music in the form of a debut album by musicians you have never come across before, although some have supported the likes of Marillion and Riverside in previous outfits, and not being merely pleasantly surprised, but genuinely impressed. Thus, the album Sever by Dutch outfit Inhalo, who comprise Fons Herder on vocals, Roy Willems on guitar, Peter Cats on bass, and Pepjin Gros on drums.

I was interested immediately in the theme behind this album, that being dealing with anxiety. I have suffered from anxiety and panic attacks regularly throughout my life, and it can be a debilitating condition, albeit pleasing to be able to overcome them to lead an effective life. As h sang in Brave, you get used to it, but you would rather you didn’t have to.

Omniscient Being opens proceedings with some nice piano notes which are then overlaid with thoughtful guitar and synths. It is a beautifully melodic start to proceedings and, one imagines, can be interpreted as the calm before the storm of the attack – you never know when they are going to hit, and their impact can be utterly random and unexpected. The close of the track brings the harbinger of that change and segues into Subterfuge with its pulsating rhythm section especially leading the charge alongside some very interesting notes from guitar and keys. Herder introduces himself vocally to strong effect and the track then develops into something altogether heavier as the event kicks in and lyrically the spiders web draws you in and you implore “be still my beating heart”. The beating heart is stilled, and this is embodied by a far quieter section featuring gentle synths and acoustic guitars, although note that that heavy pulsing bass never lets up, because when it explodes in a rush of noise and thunder, the event comes back with a vengeance. I have been through this in real life so many times, dealing with the fear and the sense of impending death, even though you know intellectually it is a nonsense, but you implore that heart to damned well be still. This is a superb and very heavy in parts piece of music.

You cannot pause for breath before Sisyphean kicks in. Those of you with a classical bent will recognise the eponymous hero as the king who was punished by the gods for cheating death by making him roll an immense boulder up a hill before making the thing fall and Sisyphus having to go all the way back to the bottom and start again, this for all eternity, hence bringing the phrase a Sisyphean Task into the English language. There is a noticeable change in direction, with a jazzy drum roll backing a disturbing guitar loop before another markedly heavy segment kicks in, and these are interspersed with quieter moments very cleverly. I love the lyrics talking about a superficial waste of time and the building sense of doom and menace which permeates throughout. Some four minutes in, the disturbing theme peaks with a luscious guitar solo underpinned by some thumping riffs, and Herder follows this with a delicious screaming vocal performance, and, by heavens, Gros is incredible on those drums. A deeply impressive piece of music.

Pretenders follows. The difference in tone and volume is impressive, and the band show a sense of drama in a quieter setting, and it is this type of tonal differential I have always liked. The acoustic guitar is simply lovely, but just short of two minutes in, it is joined again by that thumping bass and drum giving a portent of something which is going to happen despite the easy nature and mood. The track expands into a wall of sound with some powerful guitar chords especially, and the lyrics speak knowingly with the night darkest before the dawn, and, yes, this is the worst time to be overcome by the panics, and this is exemplified by a deliciously distorted and loud guitar solo above a mournful vocal and growling music. When the relief comes at the denouement, as in real life, it is a blessing.

Eventide is the second longest track here, weighing in at 7:29. The title, of course, refers to the evening. It opens with strings which recall similar instrumentation in Gabriel’s Passion. After a minute of this, further acoustic guitar is underpinned by chugging bass riffs and more daring drums. Herder sings of reaching for the glimmer whilst the light is growing dimmer, and the condition becoming even grimmer. This song simmers dangerously until we get another explosion of sound, behind which are the finest keyboard effects I have heard this side of Mark Kelly, gorgeously understated but incredible when you concentrate on their presence. Five minutes in, there is a ghostly guitar solo which deals with keeping the beast inside at bay – the next time I have an episode on a train travelling the UK with work, I will play this repeatedly, because musically it encapsulates everything one can experience, with rising anxiety and emotion exploding in a surround of sound, before the opening segment reasserts itself mournfully. Deeply impressive.

Mirror Door follows and opens with some post rock sensibilities. Gros again demonstrates his ability to lead the music with melodious drums (without wishing to single people out, he is one of my musical finds of 2022). Lyrically, the track is clever in looking at yourself from the outside, that separation of intellect and emotion anxiety sufferers experience regularly, as if you are two different people in one body. Halfway in, there is a lovely guitar solo with some delicate and fragile vocals, the latter then taking centre stage before the anger reasserts itself vocally and musically in a glorious explosion of noise. The segment of the mirror image of the self expressing itself with a horror type voice is perhaps unnecessary in that the music gets across its intent perfectly well without the need for such growling, but this is probably a personal preferential issue.

Last Vestige is the longest track here, and the opening is dystopian before a classic hard rock guitar burst introduces us to the main piece. The lyrics talk about going through a phase and this not needing to be, but, of course, those of us who go through this know it at your core. Unfortunately, your brain has other ideas, and the horrible voice and thumping riffs once again imposes itself on proceedings as the counterpoint to the voice of reason and those quieter segments which deal with internal demons and controlling your breath and slowly counting to ten. It really is quite exceptional in its knowing of the condition and the counting passage of guitar music to ten is simply exquisite and powerful in turns. The final minute deals powerfully with the demon within and is stunning, calling for the victim to sever, and this leads us into said title track, another instrumental to bookend the album, if you like the calm after the storm with a delicious piano and synth effects bringing the victim and us to peace (before the next time).

I love this album. It is a superb work, and not just because I can empathise with it personally. I really cannot recommend it highly enough, and I await the future direction with great interest. The band website is at https://inhaloband.com/home It is released via Construction Records https://www.constructionrecords.nl/