AD INFINITUM

Opulent symphonic metal that mines a decadent past for inspiration

“THE PERIODS IN history that make me dream are the mediaeval age or the Renaissance: kings and queens and knights,” says Ad Infinitum vocalist and founder Melissa Bonny. “On our first album, there’s a breakdown with a waltz vibe and you can imagine people in a ballroom, dancing.”

Since forming in 2018, the Swiss symphonic metallers have aimed to take listeners on a journey through time. Their debut album, Chapter I: Monarchy, is full of darkly elegant and cinematic arrangements, led by Melissa’s glittering vocals and guttural barks. They take lyrical cues from times of danger and grandeur, like The Black

Death and the opulent Courts of European kings. “I took inspiration from the life of Louis XIV,” says Melissa. “But I do it always in an abstract way; if I’m talking about betrayal, for example, people can relate to it too.”

Due to COVID-19, they haven’t toured Monarchy the way they’d wanted, but they’re already back in the studio, recording its follow-up. “It’s inspired by a real-life historical character who’s both a hero and a tyrant,” says Melissa mysteriously. “But it’s a secret for now. Maybe later we’ll do a reveal!”

CHAPTER I: MONARCHY IS OUT NOW ON NAPALM RECORDS