Infant Island is an American
screamo
Screamo (also referred to as skramz) is an aggressive subgenre of emo that emerged in the early 1990s and emphasizes "willfully experimental dissonance and dynamics".Jason Heller, "Feast of Reason". ''Denver Westword'', June 20, 2002Access date: ...
band formed in
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,982. The Bureau of Economic Analysis of the United States Department of Commerce combines the city of Fredericksburg wi ...
in 2016. The band consists of vocalist Daniel Kost, guitarists Alexander Rudenshiold and Winston Givler, bassist Kyle Guerra, and drummer Austin O'Rourke.
History
Formation and ''Infant Island'' (2016–2018)
Infant Island was formed in the summer 2016 by vocalist Daniel Kost, guitarist Alexander Rudenshiold, bassist Kyle Guerra, and drummer James Rakestraw. On August 1, 2018, in advance of a U.S. and Canada tour, they released their
self-titled debut album to critical acclaim.
In the same month, the album was featured in
Noisey
''Vice'' (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian-American magazine focused on lifestyle, arts, culture, and news/politics. Founded in 1994 in Montreal as an alternative punk magazine, the founders later launched the youth media company Vice Media, ...
's "Summer of Screamo" column, in which writer Dan Ozzi called it "a linchpin for modern screamo."
In October 2018, the band parted ways with drummer James Rakestraw – replacing him with Austin O'Rourke who had formerly worked with bassist Guerra in smallhands, an early touring and split EP partner band for Infant Island.
In February 2019, Infant Island was featured in
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
, along with contemporaries
Vein
Veins are blood vessels in humans and most other animals that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenated b ...
and
Portrayal of Guilt, as delivering "new life" to
screamo
Screamo (also referred to as skramz) is an aggressive subgenre of emo that emerged in the early 1990s and emphasizes "willfully experimental dissonance and dynamics".Jason Heller, "Feast of Reason". ''Denver Westword'', June 20, 2002Access date: ...
.
''Beneath'' and ''Sepulcher'' (2019–2020)
In a March 2019 interview for
RVA Magazine
''RVA Magazine'' is a magazine, launched in April 2005 as a full color publication with a focus on street art, trendsetting local music and counter culture ideas coming from the Richmond, Virginia area. It was founded by R. Anthony Harris and Jer ...
, guitarist Alexander Rudenshiold said that the band's second album was entirely recorded.
In April 2020 the band announced that their sophomore album,
''Beneath'', would be released in May of that year on Dog Knights Productions. They also released a music video for "Someplace Else," the last track from the album. On April 17, 2020, Infant Island released the second single for ''Beneath'', "Stare Spells", along with a previously unannounced "miniLP" titled
''Sepulcher'' to positive reviews.
''Beneath'' was released on May 15, 2020 to positive reviews. Though chronologically it was released before ''Beneath'', ''Sepulcher'' consists of material recorded almost a year after.
''Beneath'' was featured on several "Best of 2020" lists.
In response to the
George Floyd protests
The George Floyd protests were a series of protests and civil unrest against police brutality and racism that began in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020, and largely took place during 2020. The civil unrest and protests began as part of internati ...
, on June 5 Infant Island released a compilation album titled ''Collections 1'', donating the proceeds to bail funds and mutual aid groups supporting protesters in
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
and Fredericksburg, Virginia. ''Collections 1'' contains previously unreleased tracks, reworks of songs by the band's members, as well as "rarities" from their compilation appearances and split albums.
Musical style
Infant Island's musical style has been universally described as
screamo
Screamo (also referred to as skramz) is an aggressive subgenre of emo that emerged in the early 1990s and emphasizes "willfully experimental dissonance and dynamics".Jason Heller, "Feast of Reason". ''Denver Westword'', June 20, 2002Access date: ...
, and has often been compared to their regional predecessors
Pg.99,
City of Caterpillar
City of Caterpillar is an American post-hardcore band from Richmond, Virginia, formed in 2000. They released a split with Pg. 99, one studio album, and a full-length compilation of demos and live tracks. Their songs, some of which are over 10 m ...
, and
Majority Rule
Majority rule is a principle that means the decision-making power belongs to the group that has the most members. In politics, majority rule requires the deciding vote to have majority, that is, more than half the votes. It is the binary deci ...
.
In 2018, after the release of their self-titled album,
Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.
''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...
's Chris DeVille described their style as "
Deafheaven
Deafheaven is an American post-metal band formed in 2010. Originally based in San Francisco, the group began as a two-piece with singer George Clarke and guitarist Kerry McCoy, who recorded and self-released a demo album together. Following i ...
reframed in the sonic palette of ''
Diary
A diary is a written or audiovisual record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. Diaries have traditionally been handwritten but are now also often digital. A personal ...
''-era
Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate is an American emo/indie rock band from Seattle, formed in 1992. The band currently consists of founding members Jeremy Enigk (vocals, guitar), Dan Hoerner (guitar) and William Goldsmith (drums), alongside Greg Suran (gui ...
."
The band's 2020 releases ''Sepulcher'' and ''Beneath'' saw them shift towards a more directly metallic approach, with reviewers drawing comparisons to
grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme fusion genre of heavy metal and hardcore punk that originated in the mid-1980s, drawing inspiration from abrasive-sounding musical styles, such as thrashcore, crust punk, hardcore punk, extreme metal, and industrial. G ...
,
sludge metal
Sludge metal (also known as sludge or sludge doom) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that originated through combining elements of doom metal and hardcore punk. It is typically harsh and abrasive, often featuring shouted vocals, heavi ...
, and particularly
black metal
Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...
.
Band members
Current members
* Daniel Kost – vocals (2016–present)
* Alexander Rudenshiold – guitar/vocals (2016–present)
* Kyle Guerra - bass (2016–present)
* Austin O'Rourke - drums (2018–present)
* Winston Givler - guitar (2019–present)
Past members
* James Rakestraw – drums (2016–2018)
Discography
Studio albums
Extended plays
Compilation albums
Singles
Music videos
Compilation appearances
* "Ugly Brunette/July 5th"
(originally by Horse Jumper of Love; Compilation "Grave Neighbors Volume 2") (2018, Middle-Man Records)
* "A Preoccupation (Reprise)"
(Compilation "Sordid States Volume 2") (2019, Middle-Man Records)
* "Aurora"
(Compilation "Balladeers, Redefined") (2023,
Secret Voice)
References
{{Authority control
American emo musical groups
Musical groups established in 2016
American screamo musical groups
Emo revival groups
American post-metal musical groups
Hardcore punk groups from Virginia
2016 establishments in Virginia