Infection Code
Sterile
5.5
No matter what day I chose to show up to class, I knew that the minute I sat down to hear that day’s lecture I would have to buy into this particular professor’s philosophy on film; American audiences have little patience for anything that challenges the established tradition of story. For whatever reason, his philosophy has stuck with me, and I generally find myself trying to apply it to myself in any number of ways. One of those ways relates to music. I am a fairly meat and potatoes guy when it comes to metal, but I keep my ears open and every once in a while I find myself enjoying music that challenges traditional song structures and expectations. So, when I was handed this album and gave it an initial listen, I tried like hell to find a root from which to begin forming a solid opinion. Unfortunately, after weeks of listening to Sterile, I am still confused as all hell.
Infection Code is really like a cross combination of Dillinger Escape Plan and Strapping Young Lad without sounding like either of the two. In other words, it’s got jazzy drum work and an industrial rhythm guitar sound; that’s as best as I can summarize in terms of name-dropping. Throw in penchant questionable interludes for good measure, and these are the things from which groups like Infection Code are born. If anything, these guys provide an interesting listen that one won’t soon forget. That said, there will be moments when you’ll want to forget, like when you can’t wake up from that nightmare where Courtney Love threatens to ass-rape you with the dried and solidified fat from the lipo she’s undoubtedly planning at this very moment. Yes, this is Courtney Love ass-rape soundtrack material.
My recommendation? Go to the group’s website, download one track, and you’ll either love it or hate it; no need for a second song download if you fall under the latter. Because of the genre-mixing, songs tended to blur into each other, and, even though Infection Code’s sound could be described as avantgarde, I can’t help but feel that Sterile is a bit homogenous. Nonetheless, I am interested in seeing what this group does with its sound in the future. Cut the tracks consisting purely of noise. Keep up the excellent drum work. Experiment more with your industrial leanings.
