Formed in 2007 out of Aalen, Germany come Death Metal kings PARASITE INC and their second full length album "Dead and Alive". Following their first full length album "Time Tears Down" their previous record label closed its doors leaving us wondering what was to come of the band. After five long years we now have "Dead and Alive" and fans like myself, couldn't be happier. The artwork as well as mixing was done by the bands drummer Benjamin Stelzer. One thing I truly appreciate is they have full creative control over the band.

The band has a very unique sound, Gothenberg meets Synth mixed with a hint of punk. For fans of AT THE GATES, ARCH ENEMY and MORS PRINCIPUM EST, PARASITE INC will be one of your favorite bands. So let us delve into this Death Metal masterpiece and have our cold steel hearts pump the mercury through our veins. Ladies and Gentlemen I give you PARASITE INC "Dead and Alive".

The album starts off with "Countershock" a synth intro that sounds like it comes straight out of an eighties sci-fi movie. It melds perfectly into the second track which is also a single off the album "Once and For All". The first thing that stands out are the drums played by Benjamin Stelzer. The other thing that pops out to me are the guitars played by Kai Bigler who also is the vocalist and Dominik Sorg. Another thing I can truly appreciate is being able to hear bassist Stefan "Johnny" Kramer. It is very very rare to be able to hear all the instruments in a Death Metal band.

"This World" is a brilliant mix of metal and synth. This tune is extremely catchy and I have caught myself listening to it several times in a row. From the sheer aggression to the beautiful soft parts this is definitely a track that stands out among the others. "Fall of the Idealist" starts off with a boot to the chest. I quite literally screamed aloud like a kid when I heard the effects they did on the vocals! PURE FUCKING GENIUS! I swear if you have never heard of these guys before this will become your new favorite band. The melody in this song is written perfectly, four tracks in and this is already one of my favorite albums in recent years.

Up next we have one of the promotional singles "Headfuck Rollercoaster".  They really picked a great one for a single. This song is truly a battle song as well as a headbanger. I give it ten out of ten windmill headbangs. I wont blame anyone for starting a pit wherever they are while listening to it. "Flesh Decadence" is in at number six on the album. With its tempo changes and guitar solos I know for a fact that any guitarists out there will fall in love with this one. The drums, bass and vocals are all immaculate.

"Red Wine Collider" instantly jumps into being epic and savage. It is one of the most beautifully brutal songs on the album by far. It gives off a melancholic feel towards the end but comes right back around to sheer well constructed insanity. "Sunset Overdrive" is the slowest song I have heard so far and I'm not even sure if slow is how to describe it. Either way it is different from the rest but it is still amazing.

The ninth song on "Dead and Alive" is "Cold Silent Hell". This one has everything I could want from them. Crazy riffs, kick ass chugs and great progression. This one will be going on my playlist for sure. (I am pretty sure the whole album will be) It is one of the best songs on the album by far. The second to last song is the self titled track "Dead and Alive". This song made me want to go and start a bar fight with guys bigger than me. It filled me with adrenaline and rage all at once. This song is like when you see your favorite character in a movie is outnumbered getting his ass kicked and then turns around and wins the unwinnable fight. This is going into current favorite songs as I am typing this.

The final song on this magnum opus is "Empty Streets", a cover of a song by SCANDROID. I didn't know who SCANDROID was so I went and listened to the original so I could see how it compares to the cover. I want to say that I am a huge fan of New Wave electronic music and can now see the inspiration for the synth on the album. As far as a Death Metal cover of an Electronic song goes, I would have to say this was done perfectly.

I am telling you all right now you need to add this album to your collection as fast as you can. It will be one that you listen to over and over until the next album comes out. I am going to soak this in for a long time to come. PARASITE INC you have out done yourself on your Sophomore album. There wasn't one thing wrong on "Dead and Alive". I guarantee that a headlining tour is in the very near future. I knew I was right about BEHEMOTH in 2001, and I know I am right about this. Until then keep up the great work!