Review: “Sulphur” by Infection Code

After a five album run with Argonauta Records, Italian Death Thrash enthusiasts Infection Code have taken a death defying leap of faith to Time To Kill Records for the release of their ninth full-length studio album “Sulphur”. Arising from the black depths just twelve months after the well received “Alea Iacta Est” it marks their first work with ex-Hellbound guitarist Chris Perosino who joined the outfit in 2021. Lyrically inspired by science fiction and horror stories from the likes of  Howard P. Lovecraft, Dan Simmons and Valerio Evangelisti and building on those themes with personal reflections on the decline of human civilization, it was recorded, mixed and mastered at The Cat’s Cage Recording Studio by Francesco Salvadeo and includes a cover of “Blinded By Fear” by At The Gates…

Line up changes are nothing new to Infection Code, their 24 year reign of terror finding original members Riky Porzio and Gabriele Oltracqua alive and well at the drum stool and microphone stand respectively. Together they form the spine of the project and remain fearless leaders, ensuring that the legacy they have helped create is not only maintained but enriched by this new album. “Maze Of Death” sets the tone as mid tempo chugger with fearsome vocals, a powerful statement piece that is enthralling with a certain sense of majesty about it despite the obvious darkness. Curiously enough by the end this one feels like a closing cut rather than one to start a record but the quality of it is undeniable. An undercurrent of evil industrial sounds underpins “The Colour Out Of Space“, rising from the black depths to create moments of battery acid nausea in the mix. Staccato riff breaks build a play on silence between rampaging sections of crushing bass, the avant-garde nature of this beast giving the band the opportunity to float between styles, something which they do with consummate ease. There is a primitive quality to “Evil Side Of Mercy“, a more direct cut that has some deeper, darker death growls and some industrial styled drum patters. The first cut to see Perosino break out some lead work, this one has a real intensity to it as well as a sombre undertone before the powerhouse punishment beating of “Deleted Error“. A rage against the system which declares us simply as numbers, a cattle to be slaughtered, the a schizophrenic quality of the vocal gives everything a disturbing level of sinister edge. As a record, this one gets heavier as it progresses, particularly in the riff department with the darker and more ominous tones hitting hard by this point.

A classic Groove Death affair that pulls you in like a black hole, “Old Viral Order” has a fist in the air chant-able chorus that less heavy bands would arguably make more of but you have to applauded Infection Code for sticking to their guns with. The breakdown section in the final third that wins the day, this cut standing out from the pack because of it’s sheer power and razor sharp approach. By the time “Protoplasm Hope” hits, it is clear that influences from bands like Entombed and perhaps even Pestilence lay just beneath the surface, the band building on the foundations of gold and bones to deliver a skull crushing beast of a record that leaves no skin left with its violent abrasions. There is also however melody and “Something Wicked This Way Comes” has a little Melodic Death Metal flare to it with macabre leads to offset the visceral grooves. Breaking up the savage vocals there is a spoken word in the final moments of this which gives it a haunting quality that mesmerises, like awaking from a nightmarish fever dream having witnessed an alien abduction. Paying homage to one of their biggest influences “Blinded By Fear” by At The Gates is not only one justice by Infection Code, but fits this album like a glove on the hand of a serial killer. Rarely does a work so well in the context of an album so credit where credit is due. Finishing on a high, “Lurking Creepy Love” combines aching melodies and whispered sweet nothings with swathes of heavier sounds, the transition between the two as graceful as Swan Lake performed by The Royal Ballet. After 24 years there is still plenty of life left in this infection… [7.5/10]

1. Maze Of Death
2. The Colour Out The Space
3. Evil Side Of Mercy
4. Deleted Error
5. Old Viral Order
6. Protoplasm Hope
7. Something Wicked This Way Comes
8. Blinded By Fear (At The Gates Cover)
9. Lurking Creepy Love

“Sulphur” by Infection Code is out 17th November 2023 via Time To Kill Records