In 2006 I already reviewed A Nihilistic Swarm, the second full length of Dutch death metal outfit Vermin. That pleased me quite a lot, and I was anxious to see the band live. To this day that still hasn’t happened yet strangely enough, but the band has not been laying low. Tours outside the country and a new record is what they’ve been up to. And here it is, Define : Divine, again released through Deity Down Records.

Like the previous effort, Vermin again delivers a nice slab of death metal with a good share of breakdowns. Among their influences are Cannibal Corpse, Deranged, Meshuggah and Morbid Angel among others, which they’ve moulded into a nice, brutal whole that grooves like a motherfucker. And because there are some math metal influences in the band, they manage to create a slightly refreshing sound that still appeals to the average death metalhead for sure. Headbanging material indeed.

 

Overall the recording quality has definitely improved compared to the previous record, making this record a very nice listen. Although I do find that Define : Divine has some dull moments here and there and that the overall originality isn’t that great, I am easily convinced by the quality of this act and still hope to see them on a stage somewhere soon. Keep up the good work guys! Cheers!