Band: In-Quest
Title: Made Out Of Negative Matter
Label: none
Distribution: own distribution
Release date: 2009
Review: CD

It has nothing to do with nationalistic pride, nor with chauvinism, but I’ve always been impressed by the Belgian Death (and Black) Metal scene. That goes for both the early years, as well as the current era. Belgium might not be as big as, for example, the U.S., Sweden or Germany, but together with countries as Holland, Austria or Denmark, to name but a few, Belgium did house, and still houses, bands that were of undeniable importance to the international scene.
One of the most appreciated names within the Belgian Death Metal scene is In-Quest, originally formed as System Shit. The band’s former releases were positively received, not only inside Belgium, yet also in the rest of Europe, as well as North and South America. I think every single recording was stronger than the former one. Made Out Of Negative Matter continues that path.
The album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jochem Jacobs, known for his assistance to bands as The Lucifer Principle, Detonation, Kingfisher Sky or Cypher. And again he did an excellent job. The sound is overwhelming and aggressive, yet with a satisfying level of technical additions and an oppressing rawness.
[The version we (Concrete web) received isn’t but a four-track edition, meant as a promo-MCD, to find a label smart enough to release this killer-recording, since the band left its former label.]
Musically, the band sets a new step forward. The total package is, of course, comparable to, for example, Epileptic and The Comatose Quandaries, and again In-Quest bring a renewing flair into the extreme tracks. The grinding and/or sludgy influences from the early years now do only appear sporadically, but the abstract-technical compositions still contain that superb combination of blasting eruptions, avant-garde riffs, surprising tempo-changes, with a deep grimness and an ominous, chilly sphere of the dark side of men. This also goes for the lyrics, which deal with subjects as vengeance and hate / hatred.
The whole (music + lyrics, compositions, performance, production, atmosphere…) is what I expected, no, it’s more. Made Out Of Negative Matter is a killer-recording, standing for unique Death Metal with an own face. In-Quest prove to belong to the top of the (underground) scene with this most mature album to date.

94/100

Ivan Tibos.