Death is June - Miasmic Serum : "Infected Seed"

 

This Italian death metal band does things in a somewhat unique manner. Drugs are a big part of their inspiration so this might factor into how this album thinks out of the box. On the opening track to their debut album, the vocals are almost spoken in a chant more than the typical grunt you might expect. It is amazing how something like this makes a difference. On the second song, this is not as pronounced and more elements remind me of Entombed.  Things take on a very deliberate stomp as the riffs shift over the pound of the drumming. 

They do continue to lean in a more Entombed direction with the occasional nod to the more hardcore side of Obituary as the only other noticeable influence. But it is not like they are trying to recapture the entirety of 90s Tampa Bay like many bands do. Jason Netherton from Misery Index is on this song as well, but that did not really sound apparent. I can hear traces of 90s Sepultura in their sound the deeper into the album I venture. When they pour on the speed midway into "Immortal Entity" it begins to sound a little more like the status quo is being upheld. Lyrically things are all over the place "Lethal Bite" is about a snake bite, and finds a continued conformity toward the more Entombed side of the equation. The vocals continue to be purposeful and create the sense they care about songs rather than just a sound.  "Brain Walls" is more grinding in the tank-like Morbid Angel manner. They are not straight up worshipping at the mad altars where the slime live, as their own things are still the undercurrent. 

"Lost Control" is better off when it's ripping thrash as the more deliberate Morbid Angel angle is almost too blatant. The vocal approach also begins to where a little thin, only Slayer tributes can save them. The vocalist from Fulci lends his snarl to the last song. It's alright but not the album's most memorable song, though it still works for what it is. I will give this album an 8.5, due to it falling into less original themes as it progresses, but it is still a familiar ride even when it gets down into more familiar territory. 

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