Rating: 7.3

Country: Netherlands

Release Date: 2006

Record Label: Deity Down Records

Track list:
1. The Swarm (Intro)
2. The Plague
3. Ascend
4. Fuel for the Flames
5. Conquer
6. The Swallowing Vortex
7. I Am the Dissident
8. Birth
9. A Nihilist
10. Falling Deathwards
11. Eyes Wide Shut
12. Deviate
13. Dislekt
14. Scientific Domination
15. Collapsed Future Visions
16. Clipped Wings
17. Vertigo

Total Playing Time: 48:29

Band Website: Vermin

Vermin - A Nihilistic Swarm

Thomas - Vocals
Ron - Guitars, Backing Vocals
Wolf - Guitars
Jeroen - Bass
Pascal - Drums

This is Vermin's first album as a signed act, following their self-released Solypsis in 2003. True to form, this is a very aggressive and raw detuned offering that is played from the heart as evidenced by the harsh gritty edge to riffs and the piledriving trills, hammers, harmonics and other note anguish.

The album gets properly under way with "Ascend", that has a morose Incantation nucleus given a further old school slant by a munificent Rick Rozz style whammy stretch session. "The Swallowing Vortex" is Iniquity-biased metalcore. Aborted vocals and rhythmic staccato combine with droning abyssal harmony to yield a distinctly In-Quest impression during the latter half. "Clipped Wings" stands out; authoritative and sneering Hate Eternal/Morbid Angel skewed harmony sets the tone before a surprising morsel of dirty acute metalcore that does not loiter and morphs towards In-Quest territory again, only this time expanding into a guitar zone of dementia and schizophrenia.

Like the guitarists, ex-vocalist Thomas mixes vocal influences in a way that forges a new personality. There are touches of Ross Dolan (Immolation) and Mike van Mastrigt (Sinister) skulking amongst the deathmetalcore hybrid throat. New vocalist Laurens on "Falling Deathwards" has a Masse Broberg quality that bonds suitably with the old Hypocrisy influence on that song.

Although song structuring is a strength, execution varies a little. A few sloppy changes are at odds with some ultra-tight tempo leaps. It is possible that the perceived slackness can be blamed on the uneven mixing of the drum sounds; the cymbals and toms are indistinguishable from each other and deeply buried. "Quality not quantity" should be Vermin's mantra in future as this album is guilty of being padded out. But I expect Vermin to develop fast as they balance dark catchiness, groove, hostility and complexity with such absolute confidence (in a similar vein to Hour of Penance, who have become outrageously brutal from these mutual roots). Their acclaimed label-mates Devious will be kept on their toes for sure.

January 25th, 2008