Review by Felix on November 28, 2023.

Infinity are probably not one of the most original black metal bands, but I am not interested in groups celebrating themselves for their inventiveness. In terms of (black) metal, I am just interested in thrilling songs. That´s why I feel at home when listening to this record. The Dutch three-piece prefers black metal with melodic parts which are naturally in the minority. The atmospheric production, in particular the drums, could be more massive, but due to the sinister sound, the band creates a strong negativity that tries to take possession of you. I guess the Dutch will be predominantly successful with it, because the songwriting qualities of Infinity are significantly above average. Let me give you some examples.

Title tracks are always condemned to represent the complete album. "The Birth of Death" achieves this particularly through the interaction of rapid parts and atmospheric intermezzos. It emphasizes the dark and desolate aura with the sound of waves crashing onto the shore. The menacing deep voice is a guarantee that Infinity do not leave the deserted ways of the genre at any time. Moreover, the musicians handle all technical challenges in a masterly fashion. This applies to the second highlight, "Flames in Hunger", as well. The band puts the focus on high velocity without eschewing to present an almost playful verse. Harsher songs, for example "Frozen Cries", attack with aggressive guitar lines so that they show the craggier side of the band´s art, but whatever they do, they do not tend to the unexpected or towards influences beyond their genre. And to be honest, this is not necessary. Black metal in all its splendor offers enough options to create an interesting album. However, I´ve got a suggestion. Maybe they should loosen up their future outputs with one or two shorter songs just to get more diversified. Their complex compositions of six, seven, or even eight minutes are partly similar to each other. Perhaps a brief killer would force them to choose another approach.

The cover motif captures the ambiance of the music in an impressive way. Naturally kept in black and white, it shows the solidarity to the black metal scene. The intention behind seems to be obvious. The more rapidly the scene changes, the more important it becomes to know exactly where you stand.

Finally, what about Infinity´s originality? As you might have expected, the lyrics deal with the usual topics of the genre. Furthermore, the band covers Immortal, Bathory, and Darkthrone, the last two on the bonus single of the vinyl edition. Unfortunately, this selection is definitely not exceptional and the guys stay close to the originals. But all these legends knew or still know how to create strong black metal pieces. And the same can be said with regard to Infinity who are still underrated. It is time to change this.

Rating: 7.7 out of 10

Review by Allan on February 25, 2003.

If you called The County Medical Examiners an early era Carcass clone, they’d be sure to thank you. They like Carcass that much, yes. Usually I’m not for bands that don’t have an ounce of originality in them, but what can I say? The County Medical Examiners just happened to have made a great slab of grindcore, with the one and only Carcass as their sole guide. Complete with real medically certified pathologists and a medical student, this trio’s debut album “Forsenic Fugues and Medicolegal Medleys” makes a surprisingly deep incision.

The County Medical Examiners keep things pretty straightforward, and are probably the closest thing to Carcass that one will find. “Forensic Fugues…” tends to wander around the “Symphonies of Sickness” or “Reek of Putrefaction.”

What might be important to most is the production of an album. Many seemed to be turned off from Carcass’ rather limiting production jobs on the aforementioned albums. You’ll be glad to know that the production on “Forensic Fugues…” is good. The instruments ring out loud and clear for the most part. One thing to note is that there are only three instruments coming out though. Fairbank is the sole guitar player. Understandably that might put a few people off, but it comes off well with the riffs since there is quite a lot of noise made by the blast-beat happy drummer and three vocals.

Vocally it’s important to mention that The County Medical Examiners have that multi-vocal attack. Pretty much two types of vocals are present; the low gurgle and the higher pitched scream. The low gurgle works, I suppose, but it tends to sound like one of your friends who make a poor imitation at what death vocals sound like when you let them listen to something in your death metal collection. The higher pitched vocals are excellent however, and really carry a grotesque and dirty feel to them, just like they should!

Bottom Line: Even if you aren’t a big Carcass worshipper but you enjoy grindcore, I can’t think of a reason why not to check out The County Medical Examiners. Well-done grindcore. Nothing more, nothing less.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 7
Atmosphere: 6
Production: 7.5
Originality: 4
Overall: 6.5

Rating: 6.2 out of 10