After nearly three decades of death metal and the various sub-genres that evolved out of the metallic cesspit of the 80's, it is still going strong and shows no sign of relenting. However, with all of the amalgamations and seemingly endless stream of 'cores' that spawned in the 90's and early 2000's, it can sometimes lead us to question the relevance and impact of bands who stick clearly to their roots. Do the young, innovative acts who explore new territory outweigh the artists who retain the sound and spirit of their forefathers? In a world where slam and deathcore exist, can we even consider death metal bands with an old-school vibe as heavy in a contemporary setting? Do any of these questions actually matter? That's for you to decide but one thing is clear: when it comes to the new Human Infection LP, it shows that powerful, old-school death metal can still be crafted, and can still be crafted tastefully.
This is the sophomore full length from this Virginia based band, released this February via Blast Head Records. While it can not be said that much new ground is explored on this album, it creates a brutal, pummelling sound akin to their influences such as Dying Fetus and Cryptopsy, while simultaneously challenging them. Standing at just over 30 minutes and 10 tracks in length, this is a dense, compact statement of death metal which successfully incorporates elements of thrash and grindcore for a fresh end product which is a joy ride from front to back.
The first track after the intro, Celestial, introduces many of the strong characteristics that can be expected throughout the album. The blast beats that open this song are tight and puncturing, leaving no room for foreplay and getting straight to the point. However, it's nice how the blasts are not the dominating force in the drumming on this song, or the rest of the album for that matter. Slower sections are interwoven in this song as well as Devastation, In Vain and the title track Curvatures In Time for a delightfully heavy impact and the overall bass heavy mix on this LP emphasise these sections. And to round it off, the fast skank beats in this song are reminiscent of 80's thrash metal and also capture a sound that wouldn't sound too out of place within hardcore punk or d-beat.
If there is one thing above all else that makes this album stand out, it would be the consistent guitar work. This album is an absolute riff fest, full of infectious grooves and syncopated rhythms which help make a lot of these songs memorable and make the replay value of the album very high. Some of the trills and harmonised riffs in songs such as Devastation, Ex-Nihilo and Decay Inheritance produce a dark, evil atmosphere which could be likened to Slayer. Furthermore, the way in which a lot of these riffs interact with the diverse display of drumming help to prevent the song structures from feeling burnt out and recycled which can sometimes become an issue in this genre.
I'm particularly enjoying Decay Inheritance. I love the slow riff which is repeated a few times throughout the song. The thunderous half time kick drum and ride cymbal which accentuates the saturated, thick rhythm guitar makes this one of the most crushing spots on the album. The vocal style is very complimentary for this style too, appearing harsh and guttural yet noticeably more decipherable when compared to a lot of death metal vocalists throughout the last three decades.
An issue I have with this LP is how a few of the songs towards the back end of the album seem to blaze by without making much of an impact. While in some cases the succinct, wham bam fuck you ma'am nature is a major strength showcased by Human Infection, especially in the case of Decay Inheritance, this quality begins to wane slightly as the album progresses. On top of this, the way in which the closing title song ends with a fade leaves a slightly bitter taste in your mouth and, to me at least, does not seem to do the album justice, especially when you consider how powerful some of the riffs in this song are. For such a heavy, hard hitting album, surely a more decisive, emphatic ending would have been more suitable to round it off in style.
So if you're wondering about the relevance of old-school death metal in today's musical climate, or if you're just looking for your next fix of powerful song writing to satisfy your death metal cravings, this is an album you should check out. It shows that not only is this style relevant, it is as, if not more, potent than it was around the time of its inception. Sometimes all it takes is some new blood to inject some life into a genre which is gaining a few grey hairs and this album is a fantastic example of that.
Rating- 8/10
Favourite songs- Celestial, Devastation , Decay Inheritance and In Vain.
Least favourite songs- Impending Purification.
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