Innumerable Forms returns with their third LP, Pain Effulgence, and it is nothing short of a monolithic statement in the realm of death/doom metal. Formed by Justin DeTore (vocals) and featuring an all-star lineup with Chris Ulsh (guitar/bass), Jensen Ward (guitar), and Connor Donegan (drums), this record sees the band ascend to an entirely new plateau of oppressive heaviness and somber grandeur.
If Split and Punishment In Flesh were the declaration and Philosophical Collapse the refinement, Pain Effulgence is the coronation. It’s an immense, suffocating slab of sound that feels like being pinned beneath an ancient monolith. Produced by Arthur Rizk (Power Trip, Tomb Mold), the album achieves a tone that is both cavernous and tactile, balancing clarity with crushing density.
From the first rumble of “Impulse,” the tectonic force of the riffs is undeniable. These songs lumber forward with an inexorable gravity, weaving early-’90s Finnish death metal filth into the mournful dirges reminiscent of early Paradise Lost and Anathema.
Tracks like “Blotted Inside” and “Dissonant Drift” explore dynamic contrasts. The drumming from Donegan is tastefully varied, alternating between battering insanity and restrained, doom-laden patience. DeTore’s guttural vocals ooze malice and spiritual decay.
Arthur Rizk’s production is a triumph here: massive yet organic, oppressive without sacrificing detail. Every riff lands really well; every sustained note vibrates with dread.
Pain Effulgence is more than just sonically devastating—it’s thematically rich, touching on inner conflict, resentment, and existential rot. Tracks such as “Ressentiment” lash out against moral weakness, while “Overwhelming Subjugation” and the title track feel like meditations on annihilation and endurance. Even in its bleakest passages, there’s an undercurrent of defiance, a refusal to be consumed by despair.
Pain Effulgence is a masterwork of death/doom. It’s heavier than in the past, more focused than ever, and utterly uncompromising. Innumerable Forms has not only honored their old-school inspirations but also carved out their own monument in the pantheon of extreme metal. For those seeking the sound of immovable weight and suffocating darkness, this album is essential listening.
Score: 9/10 A colossal triumph of oppressive death/doom metal.
