Infektion 1813

German Black Metal is overlooked yet contains some of the more underground gems in the world of the genre. There are a multitude of extremely first rate musicians in each Extreme Metal subgenre yet outside of Thrash Metal giants like Kreator and Sodom we are void of German bands who have been given their deserved due. Save for Necrophagist and Lunar Aurora, a band who I swear get more exposure on this site than the rest of the internet combined, Der Wunderkind truly do not have their Drudkh, Immortal, or Cannibal Corpse. The first world nation merely flourishes on a horde of underrated acts and talents lacking the star power they truly warrant. Endstille are one of these German bands, an act who can best be compared as a German Marduk. Loads of blast beats, serpentine and punishing riffs, and a vocalist who can flat out grind the wavelengths to powder.

Infektion 1813 marks the debut of vocalist Zingultus. He is an absolute beast. Not only is he talented and refined, but his voice marks an evil that is not always harnessed in Black Metal. Anomie opens the album. It is an absolute monstrosity of a song. Miniature threads of melody weave their way through the blasts and brutal riffs. The post chorus riff following a brief pause is one of the heaviest riffs I have heard in quite a while in a genre gravitating more towards the melodic and beautiful. Something about it has a sound that contains more head banging quality than most entire albums. Zingultus’ evil cackle above the riff ensures its evil intent.

Following the superb Anomie (which has an incredibly gruesome music video) is the also blast heavy Trenchgoat. This song contains more melody that barely scratches the surface of the waves of brutality. The tiny inclusions of tonality make the album significantly more interesting than it would be without.

This is not to say that the album is not without experimentation. The Deepest Place on Earth has shouted gang vocals in the choruses, clean and clear. This is one of my favorite tracks, blending the fury with mid paced groove and a new look vocal combination. Satanarchie is another blasting song which once again highlights the powerful guitar tone and virulence of Zingultus’ vox. There are more arpeggio-esque guitar riffs here with rapid double bass and strong vocals here. Zingultus is not necessarily as much an individual as he is a formulaic vocalist who takes a sound and does so well with it. He does not necessarily bear any sort of uniqueness, much like (another Marduk comparison) Legion was when he played. It is not always something new but something done well and proven as a solid ground to build on that makes an album excel.

Overall, the closing tracks are once again powerful, World Aflame displaying a clip that may signal a tinge of German Nationalism here. This being my first exposure to Endstille, my final assessment is that they are a deeply talented burgeoning act with plenty to work with and an excellent sound. If only they used their talents to create more diverse works. However, for what it is, that being a brutal Black Metal head banger, this is one of the finest albums of the Summer. I have mixed feelings here, and I do not think that this comes close to the latest Moonreich, but it is what it is, and for what it is it is good. Look for their talents to make a name for themselves soon in the years to come.

PS – That is Gebhard Leberecht Von Blucher on the cover. He was a Prussian General during the Napoleonic Wars.