Anybody who’s been paying attention to Infinite over the past couple of months are aware of at least one obvious fact; this is a band that takes it’s time. Blue Nebula is an album that, despite never had an official release date until a couple of weeks ago, always seemed to be delayed. Instead of spending a large amount of time in the studio, Infinite preferred to develop a strong fan base, something they’ve succeeded at. At long last, this album was finally deemed ready for release; Blue Nebula is finally upon us. Despite being one of the many bands hailed (not always positively), as “The Next Radiohead”, only one listen to this album is needed as proof that this band is something else entirely, although the band isn’t afraid to admit that Radiohead was a huge influence on them. With only one guitar solo, atmospheric instrumentals, and haunting vocals… the overall sound on this album is often quiet dark and sophisticated for the debut album of a band only in their early twenties.

There is also quite a varied sound on this album, ranging from hopeful and optimistic (Before the Dawn, Supernova) to bitter and depressed (Styx, No Remorse). The standouts, and probably best part of this album, are Eric Quillington’s vocals and lyrics. Quillington is clearly the one in charge here, and his ideas are incredibly dark and deep for someone who’s barely 21. The band, however, isn’t just ‘The Eric Quillington Show’, Matt Roberts and Greg Oldson are just as talented as Quillington, and the band wouldn’t be the same without them. The album, although not necessarily a concept album, is divided into two parts. The first is the far darker and (in my opinion) superior part of the album. The mood and tone of this section is unique from many other current popular bands. Quillington has repeatedly stated that he doesn’t want to write straightforward love songs, and these songs testify to that. From it’s lyrics about pointless rebellion, the Greek Afterlife, godlike aliens, and sadistic insanity, there is nothing at all mainstream about this part of the album (aside from the opening guitar riff of Fusion Paranoia).

The opening track on this album, Fusion Paranoia, is one of the best tracks on the album, and shows the listener what to expect on the remaining tracks. In the same vein as John Lennon’s ‘Revolution’, this is a song about Eric’s views on teenage rebellion. This is one of the most hard-rocking songs on the album, with one of the catchiest guitar intros I’ve heard recently. One important thing to note is that Quillington doesn't think that ALL revolutions are pointless, just the ones caused out of boredom. This song is a live favorite, and it’s not hard at all to see why. The band also opens many live shows with this song, so it is a logical choice to open their debut album with it.

Occam’s Razor is a continuation of the themes of the first song, in which a revolution has indeed taken place, with disastrous consequences. This song showcases Eric’s developing storytelling skills, as the lyrics are the best part of this song, and the instruments only help to accentuate them. The speaker of this song is strongly implied to be the one responsible for the revolution, and by the end of the story he realizes how much worse he's actually made things.

Styx is the third song on Blue Nebula, and many fans consider this to be Infinite’s current masterpiece. It would be unfair for Oldson and Roberts to call this Infinite’s masterpiece, due to it’s a song of only Quillington singing and playing piano. Quillington has repeatedly said that this was one of the first songs he’s ever written, and he wrote it while trying to break away from traditional rock songs. It’s their very first single released, and is incredibly different from anything else currently out there. The song is about the Greek afterlife and metaphorically uses this to suggest a wasted life. The bitter vocals on this song are very haunting, and you can tell that Quillington is putting all of his effort into this song.

No Remorse follows Styx’s bitter and depressed tone, but the meaning behind it isn’t anything like the last song. The most gothic sounding song on the album, the three members play very quietly, but extremely menacingly. The song is clearly about insanity, and about the thoughts of a psychopath who has no pity or remorse over his horrible way of thinking. Quillington apparently didn’t even want to include the song on the album because of it’s twisted meaning, but the other members convinced him otherwise. I’m glad they did, as this is one of the most emotionally affecting songs on the album, and so it’s one of the best.

Following the trend of increasingly dark songs is Black-Eyed Angels, a song about, at first glance, alien abduction. Another subdued and menacing song, the lyrics suggest someone (or something) who has confused himself with a god, claiming “Starting this god trend, it’s so fun to pretend.” By the end of the song, the listener is left wondering if the speaker is an alien, a god, or a delusional human. While this dark song may alienate (no pun intended) some of the more casual music listeners, I believe this song is one of the most smartly written on the album.

The second part of the album has more relatable lyrics about everyday life, and is, on purpose, a contrast to the earlier and darker first part. The two parts are separated by the drum and bass solo 0.9 Pelnav. Quillington’s vacancy in this song isn’t missed at all, as this song is a truly great song that doesn’t just seem like filler. Robert’s heavy metal and funk influences shine through on this song, and makes this a simple song that is very easy to love.

Nothing’s Gonna Change really isn’t upbeat at all; it’s a song that seems to be about drug addiction. Although Quillington has never actually admitted to having a drug addiction, this song still seems incredibly personal. Though, in all honesty, this song doesn’t have to be interpreted as a drug song. If you look at it differently, it’s a song about a man completely unsatisfied with his life, and depressed that nothing he does can change it. It’s a beautiful song, and one that a lot of people can probably relate to.

The next song, Rain, is probably the closest out of all the songs to a mainstream love song. With only himself and Roberts playing acoustic guitars, Quillington sings about how a specific memory can be triggered by a certain event, such as seeing rainfall. Although he never actually specifies what event he is remembering, it’s easy to assume it is one of an ex-girlfriend.

Before the Dawn is the only song on the album Quillington has never written; instead, their drummer Oldson wrote it. As a result, it is the simplest song on the album, and is about the belief that things get worse before they get better. Quillington still sings this song, by Oldson’s request, but he sings with a hint of sarcasm and cynicism; Quillington almost makes it seem as though the speaker doesn’t believe what he’s saying, which adds another dimension to the song.

The final song on the album, Supernova, brings the album full circle. It’s a heavy-sounding song about the conflict between pessimism and optimism, and ends the album with it’s only guitar solo. While the song is more mainstream and pop-sounding than the other songs on the album, it still has a deep meaning behind it, and is a terrific way to close the album. In the very end, the opening notes to Fusion Paranoia can softly be heard.

Blue Nebula is a terrific album, and it’s greater than the sum of it’s already terrific parts. Although the band has never actually stated or confirmed that this is a concept album, it has an over-riding theme behind it that is impossible to ignore. Fusion Paranoia begins the album with a somewhat happy sound, and each song progressively gets darker and bitter until 0.9 Pelnav, and afterwards the songs progressively get more upbeat and happy until its climactic closer, where the theme of the album is brought to the front. The album is about the ongoing struggle in all of us about overcoming our darker urges and emotions. By the end of the album, when happiness is finally stronger than the darkness, the opening guitar of Fusion Paranoia is heard again, which brings us back to the very beginning, and the slow decline back into the bitterness and sadness. This is a terrific theme for a debut album, and shows the talent the three possess. This album isn’t for everyone, and those looking for more straightforward and harder-hitting rock may have to look elsewhere. Even those who like the admittedly mainstream sound of Supernova and the guitar of Fusion Paranoia may not like the other songs on the album. However, fans of underground and indie music, as well as those who are looking for something different, will find Blue Nebula to be a very interesting and thoughtful listen.

9.5 out of 10



Being a big fan of the current British Music, I was very interested in the band that was apparently taking the underground music scene by storm. Having heard alot of flattering things about Eric Quillington's vocals, I started began listening, expecting a very deep and entertaining album. What I got instead was the dullest 56 minutes of my life. Things started out promisingly with Fusion Paranoia, easily my favorite track on the album. By the time of the fifth song on the album, Black-Eyed Angels, I was bored to tears by listening to Quillington ramble on about god-like aliens, something more suited for a B-Movie than an alternative album.

After immense force of will, I found myself at the ending song, which was almost as good as the opening one, much to my surprise. Several songs on this album are admittedly quite good, but most of the songs (Styx and No Remorse not excluded) seem like excessive and crappy filler. Fusion Paranoia and Supernova both demonstrate that Eric and Co. are great at writing catchy pop songs, I just wish they wouldn't feel the need to try and act like modern day geniuses on level with Thom Yorke and Freddie Mercury.

1.5 out of 5 Stars

Jason: Seriousl guys, amazing work. One of my fave bands nowadays. 1.5 stars? Rolling Stone don't know shit anyway, trust me. They rarely give good bands the break they deserve.

OOC: Wow... that was awesome. Brilliant, brilliant RP. Keep working on it man, you could be one of the best RPers here.

We were supposed to be the next Radiohead!*laughs*
-Carl Morrisson(Reckoner)

OOC:Amazing RP man, even better than my RPs about reviews. I just have a question, was your song Rain influenced by Reckoner's Rain from the album Invisible? It was also an acoustic love song, just asking..

OOC: I was flattered with the last sentence, if my RPs influence RPs like these, I must be doing something right..

OOC: Thank you so much! I'm really glad all you guys like this!