While Tardigrade Inferno’s sonic formula remains largely the same as it was on Burn the Circus—albeit with the addition of accordions and kazoos and one very unexpected burst of blast beats (“I Am Eternal”)—it’s clear that they moved away from their titular character on Hush. A darkness follows that disappearance, reflected in the dour and morbid attitudes imparted throughout Hush’s 45 minutes (“Dead Fish Smile”). Absent the maniacal main character that gave Tardigrade Inferno’s music life, direction, and purpose, Hush’s storytelling feels aimless and shallow. Thankfully, those trusty hooks, bouncy riffs, and infectious choruses entertained me just enough as I navigated through an uncomfortable grieving period for the Tardigrade Inferno I once cherished.

After a time, I felt ready to embrace Hush, knowing it wasn’t going to offer the same wacky storyline as previous records spun. However, I never escaped my disappointment that Tardigrade Inferno chose an album of vignettes, pulling from a wide gamut of fairy tales and ubiquitous monsters, as their solution. Cuts like “Deadly Fairytales” and “Goor” hammer that generic storytelling home musically as well, though there are small moments in each that make for a great idea or an ear-catching setup (see the howling vox and silent rests in “Goor”). Others like “All in Your Head” and “I.C.D.,” in contrast, expound upon the natural horrors that plague the human mind in the real world. While that topic works quite well in metal writ large, Tardigrade Inferno don’t sell it with the same compelling gravity or subversion as other acts who adopt this exuberant cabaret influence (like Pensees Nocturne or Sanguine Glacialis). Consequently, Hush lacks substance and excitement for a good chunk of its duration.

However, there are a number of cool ideas, new tricks, and fun details found here that Tardigrade Inferno could, and should, take advantage of on future endeavors. The title track is a certified bop, with a bouncy riff backed by fun synths and a sticky chorus that I can’t stop involuntarily repeating. “Subatomic Heist” is a bizarre little number that brims with vibrancy and energy as well, and it’s no surprise that it also calls back to those virtually unkillable microscopic creatures of past installments. Similarly, the proggy and doomy closer “I Am Eternal” foreshadows a tardigrade resurgence inside off-kilter melodies, unorthodox songwriting (for this band, at least), and gorgeous lead guitar work. Naturally, returning to the critters and characters that gave Tardigrade Inferno its primary appeal also gave this song the backbone and direction it needed to feel worthy and interesting. This, in turn, further exemplifies the issues that plague all of the songs on Hush that make no such return.

I’m not normally one to recommend a band revisit past ideas or themes. In fact, I am a firm proponent of a band sticking to their guns and finding their way whenever they make a potentially divisive shift from past work, either musically or thematically. In this case, however, I think killing off their main character and the silliness that came with it—not to mention the dearly missed conceptual storytelling—doomed Tardigrade Inferno’s third outing. Hush isn’t unsalvageable, as it has nifty ideas and some new songwriting tricks and fun instruments that fit well into Tardigrade Inferno’s sound, but it’s missing the direction and compelling arcs that made their first two records successful. My wish for Tardigrade Inferno is therefore to ditch the horror stories and rebuild the circus, for the show must go on!

Rating: Disappointing
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: tardigradeinferno.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/tardigradeinfernomusic
Releases Worldwide: March 5th, 2026

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If you followed along with Tardigrade Inferno’s career since Mastermind as I did, you might have felt some trepidation that the band might be a one-hit wonder. Those singles and EP which followed their debut LP lacked the same magic, and fell flatter than a deflated skydancer. Then, Burn the Circus’ lead single, “Ringmaster Has to Die,” burst like a horn of bloodied confetti. Suddenly, I felt that familiar electric spark light up my spine once more. Juggling a new arsenal of all-original tunes, Burn the Circus explodes with equally indelible choruses, a greater emphasis on lead and solo guitar work, and more varied songwriting compared to previous material. Thematically, a joyfully manic performance smokescreens the band’s trademarked macabre humor surrounding murder, megalomania, disease, and WENGEANCE. Musically, riffs informed by chunky death metal and hardcore, a blunderbuss of silly sound effects and calliopes, theatric vocals, and a meaty bass tone help build a comprehensive, yet cohesive portfolio. Using those tools, the band supports a myriad of almost universally successful ideas across eleven tightly written songs.

Of those songs, my favorites capture a comprehensive cross-section of everything Tardigrade Inferno are capable of. If you search for high-energy and unbridled exuberance, look no further than opener “Ringmaster Has to Die,” “Rats,” and “Tick-Tock.” Expertly utilizing simple frameworks as a backbone, these songs exemplify chaos and embody a crazed energy without the maximalist wank of other avant-garde acts. For something that stomps a little heavier but a little slower, “Clockwork God,” “Nailed to the Ferris Wheel,” and “Wearing White” are my best friends. While all assume a similar tempo, the individual pieces of each song fit in different arrangements to maximize their effectiveness and sense of personality inside an intentionally restricted platform. Last but certainly not least, a trio of doom-y selections creep and crawl on three unique paths: bitter sardonicism in “Cholera”; depressive occultism in “Little Princess”; and twisted masochism in “Burn the Circus.” Despite their leaden pace, these songs overflow with compelling character arcs which help lend each one real weight and prevent them from sapping any momentum from the album as a whole.

Altogether, Burn the Circus is a testament to how far effective hooks, creative manipulation of simple structures, and memorable details go in making an album successful. However, the same traits that make Tardigrade Inferno’s style an acquired taste still exist in full measure. “Rats” is a good example therein. Pure repetition being the method that allows “Rats” to dig into gray matter, it drags a bit despite its brief 3:14 runtime. Additionally, it features the album’s most exaggerated vocal exercises, undoubtedly grating against the sensibilities of clean singing or theatre opponents. Meanwhile, “9 Out of 10” and “Splinter in the Eye” don’t quite mesh with the personality of their neighbors. Instead, they work much better as alternatives for a couple of the weaker tracks off of Mastermind, which has a different tone and character than Burn the Circus. As a final nitpick, there are a fair number of odd lyrics, and a generous use of expletives on certain tracks (looking at you, “Burn the Circus”), to contend with. If you don’t care about that kind of thing, nothing here will offend. Otherwise, once you notice the awkward way some lyrics navigate the album’s story and characters, it’s difficult to ignore.

Nonetheless, I feel no reluctance awarding Tardigrade Inferno’s sophomore LP my full recommendation. My resistance to a genre I had previously hated with a passion for so long—and without exception—has crumbled. I thoroughly, gleefully enjoy Burn the Circus, a record which proves to me that Tardigrade Inferno are no one-trick pony. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a church big tent that needs burning!

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self Release
Websites: tardigradeinferno.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/tardigradeinfernomusic
Releases Worldwide: October 10th, 2023

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For those unfamiliar with the punk cabaret (also known as dark cabaret) genre, it is a combination of 70’s goth and punk music with the burlesque aesthetics of cabaret music. This description fits Birdeatsbaby as well, to an extent, but they have constructed a rather unique sound on top of this foundation, using a progressive metal songwriting scaffold and draping billowing layers of both metal and classical instrumentation across. Fitzgerald functions as the conductor in the orchestra, her slightly nasal drawl showing great diversity in delivery as she infuses the music with ample flair and drama. Her storytelling and emotive qualities stem from her punk cabaret roots, echoing other contemporary dark cabaret artists like Emilie Autumn. The result is a highly dynamic album that journeys through a spectrum of moods, from the despondent “How Do I” to the cynical “Box of Razorblades” and from the manic “Kill No One” to the romantic noir of “Lady Grey.”

The greatest strength of punk cabaret in my limited experience is in its narrative nature. Amanda Palmer, for instance, is not the greatest singer, but in my opinion, she is a monumental lyricist and is fantastic at conveying the appropriate emotion primarily through her voice. Birdeatsbaby has a similar quality, but they use their significant range of instrumentation to the fullest to achieve the same effect. Some of the quiet tracks lose all traces of metal, particularly in the latter half of the album. Others use the pomp of the guitar and bass in combination with the strings to project grandeur rather than aggression, notably on lead single “Painkiller.”² Fitzgerald has a talent for identifying exactly how to combine all the tools at her disposal to maximize the emotional impact of the many moods and facets. It makes for an intense musical journey that can be quite dizzying at times but contains enough hooks and breathers to never drop us completely.

It’s not a perfect album by any means. 15 tracks across 67 minutes, The World Conspires tends to be much of a muchness, particularly with the many thick layers vying for attention. The back half drops the metal aspects more often, and slows down more than perhaps wise, as lethargy does seep in by the last few tracks, sans the jolt of punk energy of “Kill No One.” Some of the tracks from that latter half could have been axed to leave a stronger, more balanced album. But overall, The World Conspires is still a powerful album that makes the most of its unlikely marriage between punk cabaret and symphonic progressive metal. With Fitzgerald as its captain, Birdeatsbaby steers its ship through waters of melancholy, desperation, mania, and obsession, and the voyage is truly one of a kind.

Tracks to Check Out: “Lady Grey,” “Box of Razorblades,” and “Zerofortythree”

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Mastermind is one odd duck. Put one way, this album is literally my personality written into a metal record. Put another way, it’s a circus-tent nightmare from clown hell, and Frontierer happened to play there once and left their chunky guitar tone there by accident. What sets Tardigrade Inferno apart from the only other act on the planet that I know of who sounds remotely like these Ruskies—Stolen Babies¹—is that their concoction of dark cabaret and metal is more straightforward and therefore way more fun. Cheesy? Hell-fucking-yeah. Yet, every microsecond of Mastermind claws deeper and deeper into my brain with every single riff or chorus or synth lead, of which there are multitudes.

Take the opening track, “All Tardigrades Go to Hell,” as the template for the album as a whole. Darya Pavlovich hosts The Greatest Show Under a Microscope with her sometimes sneering, sometimes quasi-operatic ringmastery. Maxim Belekhov and Alexander Pavlovich follow right behind with an elephantine riff that will stomp your skull flat. Keyboardist Viktor Posokhin further ensnares my imagination with eerie calliopes and buzzing synths, and drummer Andrew “Drew” [LAST NAME REDACTED] provides a dynamic, albeit not at all technical, rhythmic backbone to support this colorful cannon of confetti and carnage.

Things get silly very quickly after that. “Hypnosis,” “Dreadful Song,” and “Alabama Song” maximize on Witchyworld-ready whimsy, but once again the riffs use the upbeat instrumentation as leverage to smash your face in with a Fist-in-a-Box. Instrumental “Precourse” comes next, smartly bisecting Tardigrade Inferno’s debut into two segments. In this second half, songs like “Church Asylum,” “All Pigs are the Same,” and Song o’ the Year Finalist “Mastermind” feel more story-driven and tinged with villainy, but in a playful way. Plus, you get not one but two fantastic covers: System of a Down’s “Marmalade” and “We Are Number One” from Lazy Town. Both of them are as faithful as they are absolutely ridonkulous.

Mastermind is certainly not perfect. As consistently insane as it is, it’s definitely also an acquired taste for many. At the same time, Tardigrade Inferno offer something truly rarefied in my world. I normally hate cabaret music, with very few exceptions (almost all of them found in videogames). And yet, here I am, spewing nonsense about a cabaret metal album that everyone else here will probably hate, but which I love with the burning passion of a million firecrackers. What a time to be alive!

Tracks to Check Out: “All Tardigrades Go to Hell,” “Dreadful Song,” “Clown Therapy,” “Mastermind,” “We Are Number One”

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