Vermin - A Nihilistic Swarm
Deity Down Records

file under death metal / grindcore

Koen: After a three song demo ‘Alea Iacta Est’ (2002) and a full-length called ‘Solypsis’ (2003), the Dutch death metal outfit Vermin decided to enter the Excess Studios in Rotterdam (Severe Torture, Thanatos, Blo.Torch to name a few) with the sole purpose of laying down the tracks for ‘A Nihilistic Swarm’ in October 2004. It took some time before the band inked a deal (with the fresh ambitious independent label Deity Down Records), but at last these recordings saw the light of day.

The disc contains an intro (‘The Swarm’), sixteen songs, a video for the ‘Falling Deathwards’ track as well as footage from the recording sessions. I’m convinced this group of four (Pascal, drums; Ron, guitars and backing vocals; Wolf, guitars and Laurens, vocals) spend an inconceivable quantity of rehearsal time because every song is highly structured and thought out thoroughly. The performers are very skilled as well, which makes this album a recommendation for aficionados of speedy death metal with some Meshuggah alike breaks hither and thither. Vermin are currently searching for a new bass player, so if you’re interested to fill in the vacant position, do not hesitate to drop these guys a line.

Rating: 80/100 (details)

http://www.verminband.nl