A sense of foreboding washes over you. Premonitions of what’s to come race through your mind but you press on into the unknown, into the darkness. “Where exactly is he going with this,” you ask yourself. I’m sure you’ve all watched your share of zombie films and some of you have had more than your fill of games like Left 4 Dead and Dead Rising. I know I have. Imicus opens up their debut album Animal Factory with their title track and the immediate slow guitar work and the riffs to follow are reminiscent of these films- the scenes where the protagonist is evading danger in the form of the undead.

“Animal Factory” continues on with a catchy hook and includes a solid amount of Miller’s clean vocal work, as well as throwing in distorted cries that help muddy up the presentation in a positive way. I was reluctant to be drawn in by the band’s music at first but as I listened more I found that I was delving more and more into it each time.

The second track on the album, titled “Visceral” carries on this trend that Imicus has set in motion. Miller continues to deliver infectious hooks coupled with raspy screams, accompanied by haunting guitar work. You’ll hear more of the 28 Days Later style breakdowns, driven along by stellar skins work and a nice groove. If there are only two songs you listen to on this entire album, make it “Visceral” and “Inveigle”.

The next track titled “Inveigle” is by far one of my favorites on the album. It has a solid bounce and groove that carries the rest of it along with ease and dirtied up grace. Memorable hooks and choruses are abundant on this album and “Inveigle” is no exception to the rule. The guitar work is crunchy and thick, the skins work carries a lot of the weight and the bottom end is superb. It’s a well-rounded track that I hope is the helm of the ship when it comes to grabbing the listener’s attention.

Animal Factory has its fair share of twists and turns but holds true to a similar sound throughout. With songs like “An Isolation Dawn” and “Keep Your Halo”, you’re presented with some softer sections that lend themselves well to drawing the listener in with whispering vocals that launch themselves into screams and the undead grit that seems to blanket the album. If I were to compare Imicus to any bands, they remind me at times of earlier Taproot and maybe even Chevelle.

“The Icarus Principle” closes out the album with a more toned down delivery that illustrates feelings of sadness, regret and introspection of one’s self. With a hook that includes the words “I’m the dawn of a new day, I stare into it right as rain”, my zombie apocalypse theory is further fueled. Although this track isn’t as heavy and dirtied up as the ones prior to it, it’s yet another infectious song on the roster; and clocking in at over 6 minutes, it goes through its fair share of transitions. Foreboding, darkness, impending doom, it’s all there. This is another favorite of mine from the album.

There isn’t much that I can say negative about Imicus’ debut album. It took a few spins for me to really get into it but the more I listen to it, the more I like it. I will say that the momentum on this album is all over the map. It will go from groovy, bouncing riffs with thick guitars and thumping skins work, to the more toned down end of the spectrum with haunting lyrics and completely stripped down transitions. Although I enjoy the diversity, it can throw things off depending on your mood.

Imicus has provided us with a well-rounded, memorable roster of songs and when you’ve played alongside acts such as Sepultura (Hammerfest I), Opeth (Hammerfest I), Skindred and Enter Shikari, you should be proud of where you stand in the music industry.

4.0/5