I don’t know what happened to give Brisbane native Mark Healy the furtive and imaginative mind that he has but, boy, does he put it into good use on his sci-fi post rock project Hibernal!
I have been a fan of Mark’s since I reviewed his first release, 2013’s ‘The Machine’ , and his incredibly detailed, cinematic worlds have been capturing listener’s imaginations ever since.
‘Infiltrators’ is Mark’s seventh (bloody hell Mark, seven!) foray into post-apocalyptic worlds where humanity is butting heads with technology and self-aware machines. His mix of fantastic voice actors and ominous, incredibly well thought out soundtracks draw the listener into his detailed worlds and in the protagonists that exist there and his music has you on the edge of your seat, almost like another character in every one of his masterpieces.
On this latest instalment from his ingenious and visionary mind we find supposed sisters Imogen and Maddie on the run from the Infiltrators, machines that took the form of humans to overthrow society.
The well written script and utterly believable voice actors (please take a bow Sandra Osborne and Angela Tran) transport you right into their life or death journey, as if you were actually there and the superb orchestration of the music adds the required mystery and feeling of anguish as the storyline twists and turns.
You literally can imagine the dilapidated amusement park that the girls tentatively make their way through, you can see it in your mind and you become invested in what happens to them, really caring if they get through the trials and tribulations ahead of them.
I will not divulge any more of the storyline here, Mark has once again delivered an utterly convincing world and woven into it a compelling story that holds you from beginning to end. I believe that he has more enticing stories on the horizon this year and I cannot wait to see what he comes up with next. Do yourselves a favour and come and join me on this journey of artistry and ingenuity.
Released 6th January 2021
Listen to, and order, ‘Infiltrators’ from bandcamp here: