From the ever improving Blast Head Records comes the second album from Virginia’a Human Infection and from the artwork and lyrics to the vocals, to the song writing and production everything has improved from the solid but forgetful debut, Infest to Ingest.
Not that Curvatures In Time will be on an year end lists, but it does offer a meaty 31 minute slabs of good ol’ fashioned US death metal culling heavily from the likes of Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Malevolent Creation, Suffocation et al and now, a bit of classic grind a al Terrorizer and Naplam Death. The end result is much improved from the debut, especially the more powerful and raw vocals of Andrew Brown, who now has a much more commanding presence in the material.
After the obligatory useless intro, the 9 songs are short, punchy,sharp stabs of standard death metal mixing blasts, grooves and a few solos. It’s got a little more bite than the debut with a more earthy, raw production and some more memorable moments overall. From opener “Celestial” through the blasting “Ex Nihilo” and “Decay Inheritance” to the impressive slower marches that arise in the likes of of “Sacrificial Skies” and the closing title track, the album is a enjoyable, standard foray into USDM. Nothing more nothing less.
And while Curvatures in Time is certainly improved from the debut, I’m not sure it’s going to make a dent on 2014s larger death metal picture and take any attention from the likes of Artificial Brain, Soreption, Benighted as well as Dark Descent and Comatose’s 2014 death metal onslaught. But if you are in the mood for some no nonsense, basic USDM, Human Infection should fit the bill.
