HUMAN INFECTION- CURVATURES IN TIME ALBUM REVIEW

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.

Check out Human Infection's Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/HumanInfectionband?fref=ts

Check out the Blast Head Records Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/blastheadrecords?fref=ts

Show these guys some love by visiting the Blast Head store here:

http://blastheadrecords.com/store/

WORMED- EXODROMOS ALBUM REVIEW

This is an album that I first discovered around late spring/ early summer last year with a good friend of mine and fellow music enthusiast. He let me borrow this LP but for whatever reason, I just did not get around to giving it the full attention it really deserved... until the beginning of this year. So, we are a little over a year late now but better late than never right?

I'd like to preface this by saying that I made my "Top 10 Albums of 2013" list before I got a chance to dedicate some time to listening to this album (you can watch the video of my selections here). Obviously it would be a bit pointless re-doing this list... BUT if I could go back and change it, Wormed- Exodromos would, without a doubt, be in the top 5 bracket of the list.

As a big death metal fan, I have found, as time goes on, that in some ways it becomes slightly harder to find death metal albums that are able to give you same thrill and have the "wow factor" of your first exposure to the genre. Initially it can take some getting used to the very guttural vocal style, the intense, fast paced, intricate guitar work and almost ridiculously fast blast beats on the drums, especially in modern death metal and technical death metal. But once it "clicks", these traits become exhilarating and leave you thirsting for more, putting you on the insatiable quest for more rapid double kick drums and sick riffage. As time goes by though, that initial thrill begins to wear off and, in order to enjoy albums within the sub genres of death metal, you need to look beyond the face value instrumental characteristics. Yes, you can play me a blast beat at 280bpm but if it is not doing anything in terms of progressing the song or emphasising certain passages within the song, then it can come across as a bit gratuitous occasionally. I also find that as time has passed, I am now less enamoured with shredding/soloing/general high register fretboard wankery in death metal (Necrophagist for example). While there are times where it does work exceptionally well, I do not think it's necessary or mandatory at all times within the genre.

So why am I saying all of this? Well, Exodoromos, the second full length LP from this Spanish death metal behemoth managed to successfully incorporate the speed, technicality and sheer brutality that would be expected in death metal while presenting it in a unique way which can't help but catch your attention.

It is obvious right from the outset that this is an LP which is far more focused on the rhythmic and technical side of death metal, rather than being a guitarist's showmanship. I'm loving the detailed, heavy guitar work and the erratic structure introduced on the opener Nucleon and this is a constant feature throughout this LP. The shifts in tempo, time signatures, rhythms and breaks keep you guessing, making each new song that passes as fun and unpredictable as the last. Even beyond your first listen of the album, this sporadic nature keeps Exodromos fresh and also gives it a structural quality which could be likened to grindcore and deathgrind. For this reason, a band that instantly springs to mind when it comes to comparisons is Origin. The only real changes of pace on this album are Solar Neutrinos and Darkflow Quadrivium which in a way act as a necessary breather from the unrelenting nature of the songs as well as maintaining the atmosphere of the album.

Even more importantly than the structuring, the instrumentation and sound choices really help sell this album. The intermittent gravity blasts on the snare that appear on Nucleon and are scattered on a few other songs make a heavy impact. Their appearance in short bursts puts emphasis on the power of the music. It is great that this technique is not overused because, like fast double kick drum and blast beats, it can become stale very quickly. Also, the guitars sound fantastic. Overall, the sound produced is quite ambiguous and atonal with the exception of a few riffs on the album which produces a nice tonal contrast. While this could initially make it difficult for new listeners to grasp the album, this contrast helps to keep the album engaging throughout.

On top of this, the futuristic, almost sci-fi vibe this creates is perfect when you take into account the lyrical concept of the album, focusing on the idea of the death of our solar system and an advanced human race (more information on this lyrical concept and story can be found here). Although it is not apparent on the first listen, the structure of the album is also particularly powerful  in presenting this concept. Musical motifs, most notably from the songs Tautochrone, Multivectorial Reionisation, Spacetime Ekleipsis Vortice and Stellar Depopulation reappear in the closing song Xenoverse Discharger. Although it takes a few listens to grasp, this acts as the perfect way of rounding off such a busy, intricate set of songs and it goes to prove that it really is rewarding when you dedicate some time to an album of this level of musicianship.

Definite highlights for me include the atmospheric guitar break half way through Tautochrone and the squealing, bending harmonics that appear shortly after this. I absolutely dig the ending sections of Stellar Depopulation and Techkinox Wormhole. The strong galloping guitar chug over the top of the drums fit together perfectly on Depopulation and the fast staccato, odd time hammer blasts on the drums that slowly fade on Wormhole really takes you by surprise.

One thing that is worth mentioning is the vocal style which there seems to be a polar reaction to. For some, it really makes the album, for others, they have severe difficulty getting past the sound. If you had to describe it, it's somewhere in between an undecipherable low guttural and pig squeal. In the context of the music, in some ways it is safer to view the vocals as another percussive device and, to me at least, it aids in the futuristic aesthetic created by the concept and the guitars. If you close your eyes and concentrate really hard while listening to this album, you could imagine Predator singing these songs......

If you are a fan of death metal, this is an album that needs to be in your collection. It is as unrelenting and brutal as it is intricate, diverse and sporadic which is a welcome change in the vast sea of technical death metal. It is certainly one of my favourite death metal albums. If you've listened to it, let me know what you think. What are your highlights? Is this album really as innovative as I'm claiming it to be? Do you prefer this style over a more old school traditional death metal sound?

 

Rating- 10/10

Favourite songs- Nucleon, Tautochrone, Multivectorial Reionisation, Stellar Depopulation and Xenoverse Discharger.

Least favourite songs- Spacetime Ekleipsis Vortice.

On a side note... check out those damn song titles: The Nonlocality Trilemma, Multivectorial Reionisation, Darkflow Quadrivium, Techkinox Wormhole, Xenoverse Discharger... is it just me or are those titles fucking cool as hell? 

Links to their Facebook page and Youtube channel here

https://www.facebook.com/wormed?fref=ts

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPinEz4LGoq_N-3zUhBjbhA