Compilation LP featuring both Grave Infestation demos: "Infesticide" demo 2018 and "Infestation of Rotting Death" demo 2019.
Few contemporary bands embrace the essence of the death metal demo tape quite like Grave Infestation. On Infesticide, their 2018 debut demo, the Vancouver-based trio conjures a sound that feels ripped straight from the crumbling tombs of the late '80s underground—raw, reeking, and irresistibly violent. Originally self-released on cassette and later reissued by Invictus Productions, Infesticide is a potent showcase of a band that instinctively understands the sinister alchemy of death metal's formative years.
From the first moments, the demo hits with the force of a collapsing crypt—chunky, down-picked riffs and serrated tremolo lines slam against pounding rhythms that never let up. Grave Infestation’s style threads the needle between frenzied death/thrash and a more stomping, doom-laced approach, evoking the spirit of early Master, Necrovore, and the caustic precision of Sadistic Intent. Their sound isn’t just a nostalgic recreation—it’s alive, aggressive, and eerily authentic.
Tracks like “Dead Wrong” and “Mortality Rate” showcase their more ripping side, recalling the uptempo energy of early Swedish death metal while keeping things grounded with a burly, mid-heavy production that emphasizes their dense rhythmic attack. But it's on songs like “Sudden Death” and “Still Birth… Still Life” where the demo truly shines—navigating seamlessly between ominous doom passages and frantic blasts with a sense of dynamics rarely heard in such early material. The transitions feel deliberate, the songwriting assured.
What makes Infesticide stand out isn’t just its rawness—it’s the promise that lies beneath the grime. Grave Infestation manage to sound both immediate and fully formed, hinting at even darker, more refined horrors to come. For fans of rotting, no-frills death metal with thrashing limbs and a punkish heartbeat, this is essential listening. Grave Infestation are not merely paying homage—they’re ready to stake a claim in the lineage. Highly recommended.
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