Featuring a murderers' row of musicians who have played in such No Echo-favorite bands like No Tolerance, Iron Lung, and Power Trip, Innumerable Forms already have some real estate in your music collection. For the uninitiated, the quartet of vocalist Justin DeTore, bassist/guitarist Chris Ulsh, drummer Connor Donegan, and guitarist Jensen Ward specializes in a death metal-meets-doom sound that wouldn't have sounded out of place on the Peaceville Records roster back in the early '90s.
Innumerable Forms captured the ominous spirit of their sound supremely on their forthcoming third studio album, Pain Effulgence. Despite its often cacophonous arrangements, no sonic component is lost in the mire. The guitar lead passages are especially potent, floating in and out of the songs with a certain majestic flair to them, albeit always with a depressive bent to it all:
I'm clearly psyched on Pain Effulgence, so I reached out to the folks in Innumerable Forms to some of the records (and demos) that helped fuel the creative juices for the album sessions.
Enjoy!
-Carlos
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Chris Ulsh (bass/guitar) picks:
Katatonia, Jhva Elohim Meth demo (1992)
"I had a hard time deciding between the demo and first LP. There was a good amount of time spent jamming and discussing Dance of December Souls while we were working on Pain Effulgence, but ultimately I went with the demo because I heard it first and I prefer that version of ‘Without God." It was also eventually released as a split with the Hades demo, two releases that I think compliment each other really well and my preferred way of listening.
"Added bonus: a month or so before we recorded, I stumbled upon an EP called Pain and Passion by Pact of Solitude that does this style incredibly well. I was stuck on the outro for the track Pain Effulgence and that EP became the inspiration for the final version that ended up on the record."
Bethlehem, S.U.i.Z.I.D. (1998)
"Such a strange and unique band. I am a big fan of the first three LPs, particularly Dark Metal and SUiZiD with this being my favorite track on the latter. Had to go with their third record since we are talking about Pain Effulgence. I really admire this band’s knack for simplistically creating a sinister atmosphere, especially because I can tend to overcomplicate guitar riffs at times when things don’t always fit perfectly together.
"So this band is a good reminder that intention and atmosphere can serve the song more than a string of notes that sliver and wind around."
Mythos, Moulded in Clay demo (1993)
"Around when Justin and I first met around 2009, he put a ton of early Finnish death metal demos on my iPod when I came through Boston on tour. I was completely unfamiliar and became hooked instantly.
"Forms will always champion demo eras from Demigod, Disgrace, Belial, etc. but this particular demo stuck out to me on a personal level for whatever reason and I find myself coming back to it quite often."
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Connor Donegan (drums) picks:
Candlemass, Nightfall (1987)
"Even though Forms doesn’t really sound like Candlemass, to not mention their influence on what we do would be flat out wrong. Jan Lindh’s drumming is essentially the blueprint for how we approach writing the drum parts for the doom sections.
"Slow and sparse, but totally locked in with the riffs. Without Candlemass there’d be no Peaceville 3 [Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, and Anathema] or so many of the other bands that inspire us, so big shoutout to those Swedish motherfuckers."
Demigod, Slumber of Sullen Eyes (1992)
"This one goes without saying, but Demigod has obviously been a huge influence on every member of Forms. I think specifically the way they do those absolutely brutal blasts are the template for a lot of our fast parts.
"Demigod’s sound is very clean and well put together but somehow raw and unhinged at the same time. Absolute death metal perfection!"
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Justin DeTore (vocals) picks"
"First off, nothing but respect to Carlos and No Echo."
Desultory, Bitterness (1994)
"I’ve always connected deeply with the vocals on this record—full of anguish and genuinely emotive. You can really feel the pain in the delivery. The lyrics are just as human, which has always resonated with me.
"Every lyric I write for Innumerable Forms is grounded in reality, even when it’s done in a more abstract style. My favorite death and doom metal has always dealt with personal experience."
Disgrace, Beyond the Immortalized Existence demo (1990)
"The vocal performance on this is disdainful, ugly, even disrespectful. Matter of fact, you could describe the whole recording the same way. A hateful masterpiece. I’ve said it before in other interviews: I’ve always found this demo more mean-spirited and powerful than the second demo, even if that one gets more praise.
"With Pain Effulgence, part of me wanted to tap into what I always wished that first Disgrace full-length had been—no offense to the band."
Integrity / Mayday, Les 120 Journees De Sodome (Integrity side, 1992)
"This was the first truly dark hardcore I ever heard, and these two songs really moved me. The vocals are full of character—probably Dwid’s best performance. It showed me you don’t need a wide range to express different moods; just conviction and presence.
"He really lets it all hang out on this one, which is way more powerful than a characterless vocal buried under guitars. That approach works for certain bands, no doubt about it—but for Forms, I think it would rob the music of its emotional depth."
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Jensen Ward (guitar) picks:
Purtenance, Member of Immortal Damnation (1992)
"The thing that caught my ear most was the sheer non-convention of the song structures. Plus, those grimy sounding guitar tones are incredible. The last riff in 'In the Misty Morning' leading into the opening riff in 'Reality Isn’t Disappearing' is perfection. There is a potent mix of depression, hopelessness and violence all swirled together to form the perfect inspiration for what Innumberable Fors does.
"At this point in the pantheon of death metal, especially Finnish death metal, all the expectations for the genre have been pretty well cemented in place and Purtenance sort of pre-defies a lot of them for the sake of something original. A tape trader's dream band. Of course, I love the classics like Demigod and Sentenced but Purtenance is fucking weird and cool."
Candlemass, Epicus Doomicus Metallicus (1986)
"'Solitude' is one of the hardest goddamn songs ever written. It’s simple and clean but doesn’t sacrifice any of the heaviness. Like Sabbath at their best but more focused on making a dying world feel acceptable. Perfect."
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Pain Effulgence will be released August 22nd on CD, LP, MC, and digital formats via Profound Lore (pre-order).
Innumerable Forms East Coast tour dates:
8/27/2025 Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA
8/28/2025 Cobra Cabana – Richmond, VA
8/29/2025 TV Eye – Queens, NY
9/12/2025 O’Brien’s Pub – Boston, MA
9/13/2025 Metro – Baltimore, MD
Tagged: genocide pact, innumerable forms, iron lung, mammoth grinder, our biggest influences, power trip, sumerlands
