Innumerable Forms recently released their newest album Pain Effulgence on Profound Lore and with that vocalist Justin DeTore (Sumerlands, Dream Unending) continues his ascent up the death metal ladder, with a unique sound that hearkens back to the days of yore, using Finnish death metal as a foundational theme. We spoke about what it has been like to start and continue this band over time, getting the band together to record and what makes this music hit particularly hard in a live environment. Check the band out in a live environment; I just saw them at Brooklyn’s TV Eye and it was a visceral experience to say the least.
Tom Campagna: What is the best way to describe this nearly 20-year journey from solo act to fully fledged death machine?
Justin DeTore: More ups than downs. I’ve been fortunate to always have people around me who were supportive and willing to help in whatever way they could — labels, bandmates, visual artists, all that. There’s been some struggle, mostly with my own perfectionism, (laughs) but overall I think we’ve succeeded in expressing what we set out to do with the band.
What is it about the slow and crushing nature of Innumerable Forms that allows you to write the music that you do?
After listening to mostly fast music (hardcore/punk and metal) as a teenager, I had come to the conclusion by my early 20s that slow music was a more extreme and powerful expression of anger and misery for me. That’s pretty much the engine that drives the songwriting, and the band in general.
What do you think best translates about your music from the studio to a live environment?
Most likely the anger and the rage. I think people connect more to our live show than our recordings. Actually, I know that for a fact. Maybe it’s more visceral and extreme when experienced in a live setting. I can see that, I suppose.
Since collectively you guys are in so many different bands besides this one, what do each of them bring to the table when writing for this band?
Everyone currently in the band understands death/doom pretty well, but we all have our stylistic preferences within the genre. In that respect, we all have our strengths in the types of riffs we write as well, and most of the time they complement each other. It’s been a good system thus far.
What are the easiest and most difficult things for the band when making a new album? How does everyone get together?
Because of the distance between us geographically, we can only get together a few times a year for sessions. We all write amongst ourselves and send riffs and ideas ahead of time, but there’s nothing like getting together and jamming as a unit. To all live in the same city and be able to write/arrange together would be the ideal situation, but sadly it was not meant to be. When we do get together, however, we usually have some ideas floating around and it comes together surprisingly easy. Those guys all know what they are doing.
What do you think Pain Effulgence does that maybe the prior two records did not?
I think it elicits more feelings of anger and resentment. The previous two had that in some respects, but they were more contemplative and mired in self-reflection. This new one is less concerned with introspection and more focused on vengeance and lashing out at specific things/people.
What albums do you think had the most influence on this record in particular?
The usuals — Finnish death metal from the ’90s, UK and US doom, the American death metal from the ’90s that never drew much of an audience. I also tried to channel the energy of hardcore punk too — stuff that really makes my blood boil like Integrity “Systems Overload” and the Citizens Arrest 7”.
What was the idea behind the sick cover art?
Well, the album is meant as a release of pain and suffering. Since those feelings are universal and eternal, I thought it would make sense to be represented as light — something that exists beyond time.
What is the path forward for Innumerable Forms for the rest of 2025 and beyond?
Would love to play more shows this year. We haven’t done much the past couple of years so it would be cool to gig. That’s about it for now.
Anything else you would like to add?
Thanks for the support over the years.
(interview published September 3, 2025)
Listen To Innumerable Forms – “Blotted Inside”
