There really is something awe-inspiring about one person Death Metal bands. Bands such as PUTRID PILE and INSIDIOUS DECREPANCY have been carving out their own niche in the Death Metal world for 15 years or even longer. In the wake of many of these bands come others who hope to imitate the masters. Forming in 2012, Germany's INFECTING THE SWARM set out to do the same. But whereas many of these bands fall down swiftly or slip into obscurity, this band have managed to carve out a bit of a reputation for themselves, culminating in the release of their debut full length, "Pathogenesis".

"Ionic Anomaly", the first track on the album, opens with what I imagine is meant to be the engine of an alien spacecraft, before diving head-first into a punishing slab of Brutal Death Metal. Where the album opener had deep and powerful chugs, the following tune, "Unknown", is sweeping, majestic and melodic simultaneously. This is perhaps the greatest strength of this album. Songs like "Contamination" and "Cellular Shifting" glide swiftly and fiercely onward, not lulling in their unrelenting dirge. Whereas some bands in the one man band category often cling to one particular sound or style of Death Metal, this record makes a fairly good attempt at trying to encompass the genre's more extreme edges very well. If you like your riffs crushing, you will find that here; if you prefer Death Metal to be technical verbose, then there is something for you as well. This album features many of the key tropes and trademarks of the one man Death Metal band; thick, chunky guitar lines, machine gun fast drumming, and of course the obligatory pig squeals and grunting. The album closer, "Exponential Growth", very much mimics the first track, beginning with a slow, eerie and atmospheric riff which tumbles into a razor sharp Tech-Death delight, before returning to the alien beeping and bopping which opened this record. Like many of the best Death Metal records, this is short and sweet, clocking in at just over thirty-five minutes, and does not rest at any point in that period.

This is quite a solid release, especially when you consider that Hannes only had one previous two song demo, featuring embryonic versions of "Unknown" and "Parasitic Mutation", with which to hone the his sound. For fans of both Brutal and Technical Death Metal, I am sure that there is at least two or three tracks which will catch your attention and hook you. With any luck, this album, and the ones that follow it, will see INFECTING THE SWARM rise to the same lofty heights as the heavyweights of the Brutal Death Metal underground. Hannes, if you're reading this, keep up the good work.