Infatuation of Death - Code of Impiety

INFATUATION OF DEATH - Code of Impiety (DEFENSE Records / MYTHRONE Promotions CD 2016)

If feels weird to review newly released album of the band, which already split up few years ago. But just before they called it quits, Infatuation of Death managed to record “Code of Impiety”. It would remain unreleased if it wasn’t for the helpful hands of Defense Records and Mythrone Promotion, who decided to save the album from oblivion. Definitely good idea, because it’s solid and worthy music and it would be shame to let it perish.

It’s been ages since I’ve heard Infatuation of Death last time. I got to know them in the times of their first demo “Heretic Hellspawn Holocaust”, which I got for review in 2003. The same demo was later released on split CD with Putridity called “Ten Acts of Death Metal Terror”… I haven’t listened to it in many years, I don’t even remember anymore how did Infatuation of Death sound like back then. But I remember I gave it positive reviews and that the band was very active in the Polish underground and appeared in quite many fanzines… but then disappeared. They were about to come back with “Code of Impiety”, but shit happened again and for some reason Infatuation of Death split up. Did they split up for good or maybe the fact that their long delayed album is finally released will bring an idea to exhume this corpse from the grave? I don’t know the answers, but I know that I do like “Code of Impiety”, even if not necessarily it’s my most favourite style of death metal.

But it sounds not bad at all and Infatuation of Death offers a good quality slab of vicious death metal. Their music feels like combines both old and new – there can be traces of traditional US death metal in the vein of old Morbid Angel, Immolation, Angel Corpse, but sometimes I can also spot a bit of modern styles alike a bit to mid-era Behemoth for example (although I know that it became such a stupid cliché to compare Polish bands to Behemoth) and the production is far from old school. Actually the production is something what I don’t like so much, because I wish it was a bit more harsh and dirtier, more obscure. It feels a tad too clean, in my opinion. But it’s a minor complain, nothing relevant.

Generally Infatuation of Death had very solid songwriting and many good ideas for the music. I like the technical aspect of their songs, with many great riffs, some very nice arrangements and some really nice details they had in the music. It all sounds professional and solid enough to bring no shame, so the more happy we can be that this album was finally released. When the title song opens the album and its fierce, opening riff blasts off, I am into this music right away and stay focused to the very end. The music – with all its aggression and violent nature – is somehow quite memorable, maybe due to such parts like the melodic guitar leads in the mentioned title song… or maybe it’s just because the band knew what sort of riffs they should play to get into our heads easily. Anyway such “Left to the World”, “The Essence (Lead Us into Temptation)”, “Infatuation with Death” (I LOVE those opening riffs in it!!! What a killer!) or the very Deicide-ish “Icons of Impurity” are my favourite songs. As I said before, the music sounds good, not the most brilliant and spectacular death metal you’ll hear this year, but very solid effort from this Polish band.

And for all those, who missed Infatuation of Death demos, there’s a multimedia section on the CD with both of their old recordings, including the scans of booklets and everything else (hey, I’m on the thanks list for the second demo, cool!). I’ll be very happy to listen to “Bestial Devilized Hell” myself, because I’ve never heard this demo before. And for sure I will also want to hear “Heretic Hellspawn Holocaust” again after all these years.

Standout tracks: “Left to the World”, “The Essence (Lead Us into Temptation)”, “Infatuation of Death”

Final rate: 70/100