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Old school Death Metal can be good for the soul. However, as many of the pioneering bands turned from the old ways toward new directions, some of the fun of the sub-genre has been lost. While southern Florida's Upon Infliction aren't really unique, I still heard some sparks of true old school Death Metal in their music.

The band's latest album, Inhuman... In Human, has echoes of bands like Death, Malevolent Creation or early Entombed while at the same time the Thrash Metal of Slayer or Kreator can also be heard. Upon Infliction's technical abilities are quite high and they shine through on many tracks, but their songwriting could use some work.

The riffs are intense and brutal, regardless of the tempo, and the production gives the music a true feeling of evil. Just listen to "Morbid Obsession" to get a feel for what I'm talking about. What I don't like are the vocals of new recruit Kyle Symons. Being the former front man of Malevolent Creation certainly gives him credibility but his performance doesn't leave much of an impression.

The band's lead guitar parts are not very inventive, either, downright mimicking some of Slayer's works, in places. The repeating rhythms shed light on just how deeply influenced by the old Thrash giants these guys are. Their talent, though, is evident, especially on the closing instrumental, "Dark Path."

Bottom line, Upon Infliction's sophomore release is American Death Metal with a mixture of the old school and the new. I like what they did, but there is still a way to go to bring back the glory days.