In Cold Blood

The underground is filled with bands deserving much more attention than they actually get. One such outfit are German thrashers Mortal Infinity who have already been active for more than a decade. Although delivering on an absolutely professional level on all accounts they might still be more or less unknown to a broader audience. “In Cold Blood” is full length number three and another example of fist-raising and powerful metal.

The riffs are hitting hard and furiously and while it might be open for discussion if the world needs another album in this particular style the quality is out of question. The main chords have been forged with so much precision that I could not help but think some of the bigger names should take notice and learn a lesson or two from this pretty unknown but highly talented band. The lead guitar harmonies are permanently pitched against the driving main riffs lending the whole music and ultimately uplifting character. The modern undertone helps highlighting the punchy nature of the whole affair giving the music an additional edge. Working with two guitarist helps to keep the songs fresh and intense by cleverly weaving different nuances into the overall sound.

Beside the spectacular guitar work also the rhythm section has to be mentioned. The drumming is absolutely precise following the main patterns of each song and highlighting several sections where an extra portion of intensity is needed. “In Cold Blood” is not so much an album for showing off any instrumental wankery (although there are enough soloing sections) but presenting a stringent piece of music that can easily be enjoyed by any fan of the genre without hesitation. The soundscape created by the themes in the background is often uplifting but also aggressive and works as basement for the riffing, the hard hitting grooves and the intense vocals by singer Marc.

While the instrumentation is top notch there are no too flashy or overly technical sections just for the sake of it. From the first note onwards it is pretty obvious that the intention of Mortal Infinity has been to take some of the best pieces of the genre and put them back together while injecting a little bit of their own DNA. There is nothing really new or groundbreaking here but the music is just so powerful and fresh that I really do not care about that. The songwriting is compact and on point without any unnecessary lengths or boring parts. The tracks flow into each other in nice fashion making the forty seven minutes go by without noticing.

The production is modern but packs an immense punch which is especially impressive given the fact that we are talking about a self-released album here. Mixing and mastering are flawless with all instruments being well balanced. The guitars are thick and crunchy and the drum sound is powerful without sounding like plastic. Rounded off by an atmospheric cover and fitting lyrics “In Cold Blood” is an album that should be high on anyone’s list who is into traditional thrash metal with a modern production. One of the biggest highlights when it comes to thrash metal in 2019 for sure.