Virus Inhumanity is a five-piece Death/Groove Metal from Belgium. Formed in 2019, just before a global pandemic, their motif was almost a prescient prediction of what was to come only a year later. Crafted to appeal to fans of darker tones and sounds, they drew their inspiration from bands like Lamb Of God, Pantera, Deicide, and Gojira, just to name a few. Rapid rhythms and chugging guitar work wrapped around harsh vocals, mixed in with ambient undertones and intros/outros create a dazzling array of sounds that will infect the recesses of your mind, taking hold of the nervous system, causing rhythmic contractions of the head and neck while making the listener throw their hands in the air. There is no cure!

https://www.virus-inhumanity.com/

Band Members:

  • Dimi – Vocals
  • Robbie – Guitars
  • Daan – Guitars
  • Elvis – Bass
  • Sepp – Drums

Released:

December 22, 2023

Tracklist:

  1. Infectious
  2. The Black Face Of Death
  3. Karma Kills
  4. Baptized In Fire
  5. Darkness Came
  6. The Fight
  7. Virus Inhumanity
  8. Scars
  9. (In)Sanity
  10. 7 Sins (Part I)
  11. 7 Sins (Part II)

This is one of those albums that begins with an intro that has news reporting that sets the mood for the rest of the record. You hear about a virus infecting all of humanity, so yes, you get somewhat of an “origin story” for the band. The opening track is called “Infectious,” and it is part haunting tones and part spoken word/news report of an infectious outbreak of a deadly virus. The timing of this band arising on the scene turned out to be somewhat prophetic with COVID hitting soon after their formation. Coincidence? I’m not so sure…

What follows is 10 songs about a variety of pandemic-related issues. One of the biggest killers, the deadliest virus, is humans. We have definitely created more inventive ways to kill each other than nature has. Hell, dying of old age should get you a medal and your name inscribed on a wall.

There are no clean vocals on this record. The guitars go from shredding riffs to groove-style leads and fills. The drums range from melodic timekeepers to blast beats and the bass thunders through all of that with a fury and tempo that is meant to keep you in perpetual motion. This is Hardcore Death Groove Metal with flairs of Melodic and Thrash Metal just to keep the flavor fresh. I’d love to see a list of the various bands that influence each member of Virus Inhumanity. I would be willing to bet you get everything from Pantera to Lamb Of God to Death and maybe even some Voivod. That’s what I hear in this mix, but you try and figure out what you hear for yourself.

I like the two-part track that wraps the record. “7 Sins (I and II)” obviously refer to the Seven Deadly Sins of that religious text so many people refer to when justifying their hatred of others. There have been movies and books and plays and operas about those seven delightful ways to a ruinous life. This album starts with a news spiel about a virus and ends with a double track about the worst of the worst of humanity, bringing the opening full circle to a definitive conclusion. This is one of those albums that delivers on the promise of a solid concept that is explored deeply and with fervor. I cannot wait to hear what they report on next!!!

MZ Ratings:

Musicianship:

  •             Guitars – 9
  •             Rhythms – 9
  •             Vocals – 9
  • Songwriting – 9
  • Production – 9

Overall – 9.00