Band – Miasmic Serum
Album – Infected Seed
Country of Origin – Italy
Genre – Death Metal
Release Date – June 14, 2024
Label – Night Terrors Records (cassette)/Chaos Records (CD)
Author – Hayduke X
I know I’m not the first to welcome the Italian death metal power trio Miasmic Serum to the world of metal, (as this is actually the second single they’ve released, but I’m one of the first. I am certainly honored to do so. It’s not often that a brand new band can come out of the gate so strong. I will have more thoughts on that in my full review below the player, but I’ll let the band’s own words introduce this single, the title track and final song on the album, which features Fiore Stravino from Fulci as a guest vocalist:
Infected Seed showcases our approach to old-school death metal while incorporating slightly melodic vibes that hint at suspense, designed to arouse attention for what’s to come.
Positioned as the final track on the album, Infected Seed serves to leave a sense of curiosity towards future productions. It also features the guest appearance on vocals by Fiore Stravino from Fulci, who provided more shifts in vocal styles.
The lyrics of “Infected Seed” draw inspiration from the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were ancient religious rituals celebrated annually at the sanctuary of Demeter in Greece. The inspiration came also from Gordon Wasson and Albert Hofmann’s book titled “The Road to Eleusis”. It also hints at the Kykeon, the ritual drink used during the Eleusinian Mysteries, which contained ergot sclerotia. For this reason, we chose the title Infected Seed, as the ergot fungus infects the seed of the rye.
When I first saw the cover art, logo, and name of this project, I made the assumption that it was going to be knuckle dragging brutal death metal – all brawn and no brain – but that is not the case at all. Rather, the debut album “Miasmic Serum” is a clinic on old school death metal, especially the style found in the early days of the genre in Florida. To me, this sounds closest to Morbid Angel of the big Florida bands, with hints of Obituary and early Death thrown in. There is a lot more thrash influence than I expected, woven expertly into the horrid tapestry being created, and the album is full of riffs, groove, and intensity.
Formed in 2022, the band has not been around for long. Vocal duties, which include a thrashy bark, and a harsher ‘gargling razor blades’ high growl, are shared by Julian Serrato and Vanny Piccoli. I would suggest that the vocals are the weakest part of the album, but I’m notoriously picky (especially in death metal). They are at least adequate to the task, fitting for the style, and occasionally hit a high point of excellence. They don’t turn me off of the album at all, I just prefer other styles. In addition to vocals, Serrato sets the foundation for the record with groovy, belligerent basswork. The aforementioned riffs spring forth under the masterful hand of Piccoli. Last, but certainly not least, Gabriele Marchioni hits us with blasts, fills, and all around a creatively brutal sense of flair behind the kit.
“Infected Seed” (the album, though the track fantastic in its own right, as you can hear above) is not only a strong debut, but a strong entry in the 2024 death metal picture. Give this one a listen…it’s got some punch.
Album art was created by the Colombian artist Julian Mora Ibañez. The album can be pre-ordered on cassette here or CD here.
Biography: Hayduke X has been writing for MoshPitNation since June of 2016. He is also a contributor to The Metal Wanderlust. Prior to joining the MoshPitNation team, Hayduke published reviews on his own blog Rage and Frustration. In addition, he has DJ’ed an online metal radio show of the same name as his blog, written for TOmetal.com, done interviews for Metal Rules, and collaborated with The Art of B Productions to create video interviews with a wide variety of bands.
