Band: Facebreaker
Title: Infected
Label: Cyclone Empire
Distribution: Sure Shot Worx
Release date: October 29th 2010
Review: CD

Formed in 1999, Facebreaker have climbed up to the highest regions within the Swedish Death Metal scene. One of the reasons is, without any doubt, the members’ experienced past. Vocalist Roberth Karlsson, for example, is or was involved with huge names, like Incapacity, Edge Of Sanity, Darkified, Pan.Thy.Monium, Devian or Scar Symmetry, amongst tens of others. And (most of) the other members too are not that unknown within the Swedish Extreme Metal scene.
After two demos, the band appeared on a Rage Of Achilles-compilation and then everything went fast. Facebreaker entered the Black Lodge Studio for the first time with former Carnal Forge / Centinex / Scar Symmetry / Pexilated-member Jonas M. Kjellgren (producer of bands as Zonaria, Altered Aeon, Rimfrost, Incapacity, Sonic Syndicate etc), and Rage Of Achilles released Facebreaker’s full length debut Bloodred Hell in early 2004. It was a splattering success, yet unfortunately it didn’t get the promotion it deserved due to financial problems with the label. Bankruptcy followed and therefore this debut album still is one of the most underestimated ones ever. This setback didn’t make the band slow down, on the contrary. With persuasion, newly recorded promo-material was sent around, and many labels showed their interest. Winner: Singaporean Pulverised, one of the better labels nowadays when it comes to Death and Black Metal. Result: the release of the second full length, Dead, Rotten And Hungry, recorded again with producer Kjellgren at his Black Lounge Studio. For the interested ones: the splendid review, extremely professionally done by undersigned, is still available on the site – see update 30/01/2008. This time the promotion brought the necessary and deserved attention and promotion (worldwide indeed). Soon a European tour followed (with e.g. current label-mates Demonical) and the band played on major festivals like Party.San (twice) and With Full Force (before an audience of over 10,000 metal heads). Finally things went well for the band.
In 2009, Facebreaker signed a multi-deal with Cyclone Empire, which did re-release the debut soon after (including a few bonus tracks). At January 1st 2010, Facebreaker entered the Black Lodge Studio for the third time, again with Jonas Kjellgren, to record the new full length studio album, which was partly done at Peter Tägtgren’s famous Abyss Studio too, by the way (production, mix, engineering and mastering). The brutal result: Infected.
Thirty seven minutes, this is how long this sonic terror might last. That sweet sonic brutality, forceful, straight-forward, uncomplicated, rather primitive and old schooled in its purest sense. No, it does not differ that much from any former release, and yes, it does go on in the fearless vein of all former recordings. Infected is a killer-album again, a merciless and pounding collection of late eighties-early nineties tunes of deadly Metal. Everything fits, all elements go well together: the deep, brutal grunts, slow and pushing to fast, aggressive guitar riffs, the hammering, pounding bass lines and drum patterns, and it perfects the massive sound, the ultra-heavy production.
What’s more: not only the Swedish scene comes to mind (Carnage, Grave etc), yet also the American one – think Six Feet Under, Massacre, and so on.
Their most brutal and convincing album to date?!

85/100

Ivan Tibos.