Review: “Hush” by Tardigrade Inferno

Currently residing in Melbourne Australia having once called Saint-Petersburg Russia home, avant-garde dark cabaret Metal quartet Tardigrade Inferno are the kind of band that Tim Burton loves. Having danced a merry yet macabre waltz with 2023’s “Burn the Circus“, this time out they’ve promised a third studio album that captures the atmosphere, emotion, connection and energy that was evident on last summers live album “Made In Hell” with studio precision. Mixed, mastered and produced by Vladimir Lehtinen (Serpent Sermon, Above the Stars, Epoch Crysis), who has been working with the band continuously since the release of their EP “The Worst of Me”, the new record is called “Hush” and is the culmination of a decades dedication to craft. So what madness do bassist Maxim Belekhov, guitarist Alexander Pavlovich, vocalist Darya Rorria and drummer Andrew Drew have in store for us?

Introduction piece “The Final Show” sounds like the kind of thing the Duke of Spook that is Wednesday 13 would love to create, quirky keys wrapping around a single brutal verse as Rorria demonstrates she’s got both clean and unclean vocals to give Tatiana Shmaylyuk a run for her money. After that barbed assault on the senses “Hide ‘n’ Seek” takes a leaf from the Sumo Cyco book of songwriting with a glorious melodic chorus and quirky moments but with the guitars, bass and drums cranked up to 10 so everything has a trade mark metallic thump. Rorria returns to English for the storytelling glory that is “Deadly Fairytales“, a romp through the urban jungle with a machete with moments that pop on your tongue like the bubbles in your soft drink of choice. The off kilter madness of the soloing is as classy as the sing-a-long chorus, the xylophone adding something that just makes you smile because its fun. Make no mistake, there is no style over substance here as these Arkham Asylum dwellers set fire to every thatched roof in the village.

The nursery rhyme like lyrics of “All In your Head” are pure evil any yet all in fun and with the guitars sounding raw and punchy as if recorded live on the floor of the studio in one take, the faux horror is a thing a beauty. As a track it reflects the album as a whole, having more twists and turns than the finest of dime store thrillers with an ocean of nuance to capture the imagination over repeated listens. Dark melodies seduce in “Dead Fish Smile“, the eclectic and eccentric moments it has making the band stand out against their peers like a hammer smashed thumb. The whisper that says “check the wrists” is just one moment that exposes the undercurrent of darkness just beneath the surface of this record so you know there is far more to it than you can take in with just one listen. There are Ice Nine Kills  and Despicable Me vibes in “Subatomic Heist” as any notion of a power ballad in the middle of the album are thrown out of the window in favour of another riff-tastic blast of fun. Thunderous percussive battery and what sounds like horns bring “I.C.D.” to life, a stompy tune with gang chants, spoken word moments and abrasive riffs as the lyrical insanity continues. An acoustic guitar adds depth and texture as the poison chalice overflows, a bloodcurdling scream ushering in a powerhouse finale of poise and purpose.

Belekhov brings a bass line of pomp and circumstance to “Goor” as Rorria warns of the beasts that lurk under the bed with a macabre sense of humour as if she’s recreating 5 Nights At Freddie’s with quirky synths and crunchy guitars. Fearfully addictive, these tunes bring to mind the twisted works of Avatar with both bands clearly sharing some DNA even before title track “Hush” threatens to launch the nukes because it would be funny to see the world’s reaction on the news. Blurring the lines between music and art with their theatrics, Tardigrade Inferno push their sound into new territory with piano interlude “Hypograph” something of a palette cleanser before the magnum opus that is grand finale “I Am Eternal“. Darker, richer and more abrasive, this one is something of a crowning glory, the introspective lyrical narrative exposing something more personal while maintaining the energy and flow of that came before it. Laced with sing-a-long moments this is a twisted vine that grows, making you wonder what you just heard because for all the witty moments, second glances and tales of things that go bump in the night… is there something lurking in the shadows? [8.5/10]

Track Listing

1. The Final Show
2. Hide ‘n’ Seek
3. Deadly Fairytales
4. All In your Head
5. Dead Fish Smile
6. Subatomic Heist
7. I.C.D.
8. Goor
9. Hush
10. Hypograph
11. I Am Eternal

“Hush” by Tardigrade Inferno is out 5th March 2026 and is available over at bandcamp