Mass Infection: For I Am Genocide

The title of this one reminds me of Robert Oppenheimer's famous claim that watching the test of an atomic bomb brought to mind the words—taken from the Bhagavad Gita—"Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Scary and dramatic, Oppenheimer's use of the expression suggests a total destructive power, the kind that unleashes death by the thousands, even the millions. Humans have the capacity to destroy in the most terrible ways.

I won't compare this album to an atom bomb; that would be silly, not to mention false. This is a metal album, after all, and not a bomb. And yet, I think that Mass Infection wants to make a powerful impression, perhaps the kind that goes with deploying some serious firepower. As for the album, it's strong and uncompromising, a masterful contribution to the genre.

As many readers (and listeners) know, Mass Infection is a technical death metal band from Greece. Ten years into their career, the band has released three full-length albums and about as many demos or splits. I'm not sure how big their fan base is, but they play with just the right amount of intensity that should please fans of this style of metal; fast, precise, and uncompromising, the music stays true to form, never straying from the sonic onslaught characterizing each song. Like Nile, one of the greatest bands in this genre, Mass Infection presses forward relentlessly, taking the music to its most extreme levels both musically and technically. Though not quite as original as Nile, perhaps, the band is nevertheless in top form, delivering an album of brute intensity from start to finish. Some of the guitar work here is especially strong; I'm thinking mostly of the opening to "Nihilism Reigns" or the bridge about 2/3 of the way through the concluding track. There are other equally memorable spots but those were my favorite. I was also pleasantly exhausted by the fast-acting beats coming from the drums. I occasionally grew tired of the vocals—the growls here are fine, but just don't have that much to do. Still, this is a technical death metal album that fans won't want to miss.

Track Listing:
1. Praised by all the Entities
2. The Scourge of Living Forms
3. Hierarchy of the Highest Abomination
4. Beholding the Throne
5. Unearthly Legion
6. Maelstrom of Endless Suffering
7. Beyond Perpetuation
8. Nihilism Reigns
9. The Genocide Revealed

Added: May 7th 2014
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 2028
Language: english

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