The coexistence of older and younger Metal genres today is something that’s beneficial to everyone. There’s no need to send to the grave something that still is valuable, and can give to the world good music. But to those into older ways, one advisement: you can’t be anyone else than yourself, so don’t try to ‘give continuity’ to what is already done, try to do something different. And that’s what the Peruvian band INFECTION is trying to do on “The Cryptic Homicides”. Antonio Palacios (the band’s guitarist, bassist, and who made the drum programming) worked on the recordings of bass, guitars and vocals parts, with the mastermind Fredrik Nordström doing the re-amping and John Scrip the mastering. The main idea was to create a sonority that could be aggressive and nasty in an Old School Death Metal way, but understandable, and it was accomplished (besides some instrumental tunes could be better). And the very good artwork of Adi Christianize brought an Old School feeling to the album.

After all the words above, one can be sure that it’s an Old School Death Metal band in the same vein of MORBID ANGEL on “Altars of Madness” and “Blessed are the Sick” age (with a very good technical appeal as well, so pay attention to “Fetus in Fetu” to check such thing), CANNIBAL CORPSE, IMMOLATION (it’s impossible to not have in mind the tunes of the vocals of Corpsegrinder and Ross Dolan on the singing of Giuliano, even with nasty screams), MONSTROSITY and other titans of US Death Metal School, but the album presents some melodic traits in songs as “Deranged Surgeon”. But the difference: they’re not trying to be the bands that influence their work, but themselves, so the songs are filled with energy and personality.

“Sodomy at the Morgue” (a simple and straight Death Metal song based on very good rhythmic shifts and a simple and efficient work on bass guitar and on the programmed drums), “A Nest of Vicious Roaches” and “Sick and Depraved” (both are filled with of extreme hooks, with the first one presenting contrasts between grunts and shrieks, and the second with Death/Thrash Metal riffing), “Deranged Surgeon” (where some melodies arises on the guitars’ arrangements), “Barbaric Hysterectomy” (again very good arrangements filled the song with unexpected shifts), “Merciless Punishment” (excellent rhythms again, creating an oppressive ambience), “Blow-Torched” (a fine moment where the Hardcore influences of Death Metal arise and creates excellent hooks) and the piledriving “The Cryptic Homicides” are moments where the value of the band’s work is clear.

It’s great to hear a full-length as “The Cryptic Homicides”, and it depicts that the Peruvian extreme scene has much to offer. And INFECTION supports such an idea.