RATS OF GOMORRAH formed back in 2023, but their founders date further back into the death metal underground. Guitarist/vocalist Daniel Stelling alongside drummer Moritz Paulsen have been active since 2009 but playing as a duo from 2016 onward. Enter RATS OF GOMORRAH. Tired of all the average cliches of death metal bands, RATS OF GOMORRAH wanted to put their own spin on death metal while not completely abandoning the genre that gave birth to the crushing duo.
Lyrically the album takes from many inspirations in the current climate of the world, but mainly revolves around environmental and social issues that weaves into Lovecraftian horror themes to make it more infectious and darker, while retaining the death metal edge for violence that makes the cobwebs of the PMRC (Parents Music Recource Center) quake in fear. While opener Swarming Death may trick you into thinking it’s a thrash song with the buzzing guitar riff, but the rumbling vocals of Stelling lay that thought to rest and send your neck to the hospital.
Tails Unknown also lulls you into a false sense of security as Stelling’s guitar and vocals both rip and tear a black metal-esque sound, his ring wraith-like vocals cut through the guitar and drums like icicles through sheet metal. The production sound is full and vibrant as Stelling’s guitar work, while thin sounding, adds to the feel of the album to make some layers explode with flavour which Stelling does make up for in sheer ferocity in his riffs that flood the album from start to finish.
From here on out though, the album does start to dip somewhat. Not instrumentally as the guitar work is impeccable on songs like Rise From The Abyss and Towers Ropes And Knives and Paulsen’s drumming is furious and precise on tracks like Night Orbit and Vat Of Acid. The only dip in quality are the vocals. While Stelling does switch from his growls to his higher shrieks across the album, there’s almost no texture to his gutturals causing the album as a whole to take a hit to stand out from their peers.
Which is a huge shame because he has the means to fill his voice out but it lacks for the majority of the album and acts as a stone wall putting a halt to most of the momentum captured on the stand out track Vat Of Acid, a tour de force showcasing the complexity of both Stelling and Paulsen as a songwriting duo. Stelling’s shrieks are as prominent on this track, but when his growls hit, it takes a detour into bland territory.
Still, Infectious Vermin is a technically inspired slab of death metal fun. And clocking in at just over 45 minutes it does seem to drag in places that feel uninspired, but it’s hard to argue that the album is filled with a few catchy choruses, crust laden riffs and beautifully disfigured drum work. It just needs more inspired vocals to make the rest of the album sturdy to stand against the weight of the death metal scene.
Rating: 6/10
Infectious Vermin is available now via Testimony Records
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