Facebreaker - Infected

Old-school death metal; it seems kind of funny that the music that I grew up with now bears that name. I mean was it really that long ago that stuff like this was cutting edge? I suppose that it was, but is also wasn’t that long ago that you had to crawl through the bowels of the underground just to find a decent death metal band. It seems in a way that things have come full circle; what was old is new again as they say. In Facebreaker’s case we have a group of veteran metalers from several lesser known Swedish acts, teaming up to deliver some of those old-school goods. The most notable of them being vocalist Roberth Karlsson, who is probably best known for his work with Edge of Sanity and Scar Symmetry. Infected is the band’s third full length, and borrows heavily from the old Stockholm sound.

Facebreaker certainly aren’t adding anything new to the formula, but they do a good enough job of executing it that this isn’t really an issue. Songs like "Cannibalistic", "Epidemic" and "Into the Pit" are driven by a mid-paced crunch that immediately calls Grave’s Soulless album to mind. "Cannibalistic" is a particularly heavy song that establishes a neck-snapping groove and uses it to pummel the listener into submission. Probably the most interesting aspect of Infected is the strong Bolt Thrower influence that surfaces on "Mankind Under Siege" and during parts of "Bloodthirst" and the title track. "Mankind Under Siege" is built around a slow rumbling main riff, and mixes in just a touch of melody. It is a dead ringer for Bolt Thrower in spots, to the point where I might think that it was a cover if I were not so familiar with the Bolt Thrower discography. Not only is the song quite good, but the slight shift in style adds a bit of depth to the album.

As would be expected from a veteran band, everything is nice and tight musically. Nothing flashy, just meat and potatoes death metal, well written and well executed. Karlsson’s vocals are note worthy though; he delivers his lines in a deep menacing growl, but is able to enunciate well enough to be understood most of the time. All told, his vocals are excellent, and are one of the things that helps Facebreaker stand out a bit form the hoard of bands that seem to be playing this style right now. Lyrically, this is standard death metal fare, and appears to be a concept album about zombies. I found the number of times that the word die was worked into the lyrics both cool and comical.

Like I said, Facebreaker aren’t doing anything new here, but that doesn’t mean that Infected isn’t worth your time. Overall, good song writing coupled with a strong vocal performance make this album a winner. Infected isn’t going to make you forget the classics, but if you like death metal it will certainly get your blood pumping and your head banging. If you are looking for a quick death metal fix you could do a lot worse, but if you are expecting these guys to reinvent the wheel, look elsewhere.

Release Date: October 29th, 2010
Label: Metal Blade Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Creeping Flesh
2.  Cannibalistic
3.  Torn to Shreds
4.  Epidemic
5.  Bloodshed
6.  Mankind Under Siege
7.  Waiting for the Pain
8.  Into the Pit
9.  Bloodthirst
10.  Reanimating the Dead
11.  Infected

Total playing time:  37:20

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Reviewer: Garett

January 10, 2011