It's a new year and with it comes plenty of fresh music. It seems that our first review should focus on a debut album, namely "Infectious Vermin" by Rats Of Gomorrah. Hailing from the German city of Kiel, they are, much like countrymen Mantar, comprised of a guitar playing vocalist (Daniel Stelling) and a drummer (Moritz Paulsen.) One has to give them credit right away for such a memorable band name, something rare in this day and age and some equally cool song titles and artwork, which are all present here.

The album kicks off with "Swarming Death," which serves as a great appetiser for the rest of the record, as it showcases the duality of the band straight away with the use of death growls and shrieks. It also features a clash of styles as death metal meets punk rock head on, whilst avoiding the deathcore trap, creating a really good mix of brutality and fun. There's a really good rhythm on display too, demonstrating how well Paulsen and Stelling work together and subsequently offering more than just ferocity to their sound.

Rhythm is undoubtedly one of the highlights of this album, really helping to make songs like "Tails Unknown" and "Rattenkönigin" stand out, with the latter possibly being one of the best tracks on offer with its eerie riff and old school death metal sound. Elsewhere, "Asleep On A Dagger" feels like Benediction worship, without being a carbon copy of the British veterans and also featuring some deliciously sick riffing. "Cosmicide" is another one that really grabs the listener by the throat, containing a catchy chorus, something not always associated with death metal and plenty going on to keep the audience entertained.

Few would argue that there are more pluses than minuses on "Infectious Vermin," but there are a couple of points which need to be addressed. As mentioned, the sound borrows a lot from old school death metal and the duo has discussed their fondness fore recent OSDM groups like Baest and Frozen Soul, who are indeed two of the most exciting death metal bands going today, but at times it lends itself to this style too much. There aren't necessarily any bad songs on the album, but there are some which fall into the category of unremarkable, such as the plodding "Night Orbit" or "Strychnos." "Towers, Ropes and Knives" is a strange one in that it sounds exciting, but doesn't really go off, like a firework with no sound. Meanwhile the decision to end with "Vat Of Acid" is a little strange as it's a mid-tempo affair which sounds good, but saps some of the energy we've been treated to.

All in all, this is a very promising debut from Rats Of Gomorrah. It's got more going on than just standard death metal, though that's exactly what it becomes on occasion. There's enough variety displayed to get me really curious about what the future holds for the two piece, and it's not as common as people might think for a band to knock it out of the park on their first attempt. With "Infectious Vermin," Rats Of Gomorrah wear their influences on their sleeves while offering glimpses at the more original beast they're destined to become. You have my curiosity gentlemen, it won't be long until you have my attention.