Album Review: Pathogenic Virulence - Scourged
Reviewed by Daniel Phipps
One of the newer bands from the UK's ever growing brutal death metal scene Pathogenic Virulence burst onto the scene a few years back, headlined by a well received full length and a formidable live performances at some of the premier events in the UK. After inking a deal with Brutal Mind the band are ready to unleash Scourged, the band's second collection of slamming and horrific death metal.
The biggest key in my mind for producing quality slamming death metal is a varied approach to writing and execution and Scourged’s key factor is just this. Its opening groove filled track sets you up and then once the final note has hit it's straight to business as Pathogenic Virulence showcases their brand of crushing brutality. Ensuring that Scourged has an effective mix of all the key elements within the brutal death metal style the band have ensured they are delivering the most pummelling display possible.
The absolutely frantic drum work of ex Vader and Belphegor drummer Krzysztof Klingbein who was brought in to perform drum duties on the album due to a personal commitment of original drummer Dragos who remains a member of the live line up, is a huge part of helping these tracks really meet a high intense impact. Not to be outdone however is the guitar work, because no matter what your drumming is doing you still require riffs and Radu Vulpe delivers a devastating display of phenomenal and brutal riffs full of twists and turns. The low end contribution of Alin Iordache delivers a serious punch to the record and it's really great hearing those bass lines pop within the final mix. Joining Radu on vocals on Scourged is Cephalotripsy and ex Condemned vocalist Angel Ocha who lends his disgusting vocals to the track "Subsequent Assimilation," which was the first advanced track released from the record.
Pathogenic Virulence tick every box with the writing and subsequent execution of their new release. It's a seriously brutal affair which grabs your attention, and keeps smacking that attention burrowing it deep into your head. The fact that the band don't lose any intensity on the stage means that as good as they are on record, theses tracks live will be something else.
