Look up to the midnight sky; see life as it should be

There was a moment during Infinite’s performance at Wembley where a brief snippet of ‘Supernova’ was played. The reaction was nothing short of euphoric, showing the kind of connection Eric Quillington, Greg Oldson, and Matt Roberts have always shared with their fans. Very few bands in the history of music are able to create music that affect a mass audience to such an extent, but this one in particular has done it over a dozen times. What’s even more incredible is the fact that Infinite virtually ignores each of these moments whenever they record a new album; nowhere on Midnight Skies is there a ‘Supernova’, and nowhere on Insomnia is there an anthem like ‘Problems with Pluto’.

Instead of becoming a band with several hit songs, Quillington and Co. have instead opted to create three albums of utter creativity. Keep in mind, though; Infinite had every chance to become a chart-topping sensation. They are the only band to ever to simultaneously hold the Number 1 and 2 positions on the Top 20 for two consecutive weeks. They are a band that gained a mainstream following, but without sacrificing their own unique blend of music.

Much has been made of the idea that Infinite is only as important as Quillington. This idea, despite how easy it may be to believe, couldn’t be further from the truth; just listen to Greg Oldson’s ‘Faust’, or the pulsing bassline of ‘Infinity Delusion’, and you’ll realize how important these two members are to the framework of the band. While their frontman may be the most famous out of the three, he is backed by one of the strongest rhythm sections ever seen.

Recently, the band has made the announcement that their fourth album will a radical departure from previous albums; moving on front the experimental tendencies of Insomnia, this new effort with feature acoustic guitars, an Eastern influence on the music, and a heavier lyrical focus on introspective themes. All of this is completely new to this band, showing just how willing they are to deviate from the musical path that made them famous. This isn’t a band possessing a desire to continue being the most popular on Earth, but rather one that will never make the same style of music twice. Infinite are light-years ahead of ‘Supernova’, and us fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

Nothing is real, and nothing to get hung about.

Through the decades, various bands have become well-known by being gimmicks. Whether it’s through the novelty of auto-tuning, shameless rip-offs of the Beatles, or a member dying his hair blue, these sad attempts to become famous have always been a staple of the music industry. At some point, the spectacle grows tired, and the music is all that remains. Remove the enigma of Eric Quillington from the listening experience of Infinite’s music, and you are left with music that is painfully average.

Because of their annoyingly inconsistent musical career, the only continuing trend throughout the life of Infinite’s career is the attention-grabbing antics of their lead singer. Around the release of their debut album, Blue Nebula, Quillington was every bit the groan-inducing rocker that so many have been before. Nowadays, he’s much closer to the realm of ‘selfish bastard’ than ‘anti-fame rocker’. When Greg Oldson was stupid enough to cause an alcohol-influenced car accident, Quillington selflessly carried on Infinite’s spot as an opening band for Reckoner’s ‘All Around the World’ tour, this time as a solo act. Instead of standing by his friend’s side, he ran away with his favorite band to play stadiums. In Quillington’s mind, there is nothing more honorable than to abandon your bandmate for a chance at the solo spotlight. Although he stated in numerous interviews how miserable he was playing by himself, it still didn’t stop him opening for Miss Vanity, once again as a solo act.

Indeed, ‘Eric Quillington’ has become one of the biggest lies and facades in the modern music world. Inside sources have always claimed that the frontman, with the actual last name of Johnson, has a much darker and controlling personality than the quirky and eccentric one he presents while conversing with the press.

Although the band has tried on numerous occasions to become something more akin to a band with three frontman (listen to the questionable vocal performances Greg Oldson and Matt Roberts give in the much-praised Wembley show), it is clear to anyone with a brain that Quillington is the only one who is worth any attention. Still, this is a critique towards the band, and not their singer, so it would be fair to draw my focus towards the group as a whole;

Each and every one of Infinite’s ‘musical evolutions’ has already been accomplished in the past. The circus-inspired opening to Insomnia is a shameless rip-off of the Beatles’ ‘Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite’, the constant shift in musical styles on each album is a popular occurrence in Radiohead’s music, and Quillington’s erratic personality can be found in nearly every musician in history, from Freddie Mercury to John Lennon. Looking past the various honors and praise bestowed upon Infinite, one can easily see that there is nothing special about this band.

One more thing worth noting; Quillington announced several months ago that Infinite was disbanding, and that he would be pursuing a full-time solo career. Just recently, he quietly announcement that the trio would continue to make music. What happened to change his mind? Who knows, but it can’t just be a coincidence that his band won two Birdies and three @Chaos Awards right before he made the announcement that Infinite would be making a fourth album. Any fan of the band that believes his/her heroes are only in it for the music has been successfully duped.