Artist: Noroth / Grave Infestation
Country: USA / Canada
Label: Carbonized Records
Formats: Split 7″ EP
Year: 2024
For fans of uncomplicated but effective old school Death Metal that doesn’t sound all too ancient, the Americans of Noroth and Grave Infestation from Canada team up on this split 7” EP released by Carbonized Records. Both bands dish you up one song, Noroth doing so following their ‘Sacrificial Solace’ album released last summer and for Grave Infestation it was more of a sop to the album released at the end of February this year.
Noroth is up first and presents you ‘Trepanation Ritual’. While it might have been logical that this tracks was also written and recorded during the same sessions of their recently released third full-length album, ‘Trepanation Ritual’ has quite a bit of different sound. The album has a predominantly dark connotation compared to the much fiercer sound of this track, which consequently adds some resemblance with Possessed’s ‘Beyond The Gates’. But, don’t expect this to be that old school from start to finish. If you’re familiar with Noroth’s previous work, this will definitely not disappoint. The song is still as heavy and massive sounding as anything the band did before. Its core of low and chugging riffs, gurgling vocals and versatile dynamics is still very much intact. For me personally, however, this slightly “lighter” and sharper guitar sound works even better than what we are used to from the band’s full-length albums. And, maybe not in the least, it feels like it fits very well with the offerings of their split-partner Grave Infestation.
The Canadian’s contribution to this split 7” EP, ‘Necroslaughterhouse’, is a song that fits very well in line with what the band offered on their 2022-released ‘Persecution Of The Living’ album. Yet, this song sounds a lot heavier with the sharpest edges filed off. So where Noroth added some extra fierceness, Grave Infestation did quite the opposite. Maybe some of this has to do with certain mastering, but regardless of the cause, both tracks fit well together. Other than some superficial cosmetic modifications, Grave Infestation is still very much the power house they have always been. Admittedly, I wasn’t too impressed by the band’s contribution to the split 7” EP with Sněť, but here the band seems to be back in full swing. Their Autopsy-meets-Slaughter-and-Possessed amalgam with its great Heavy Metal-fuelled song writing again works out splendidly.
