A great debut album makes a statement, a stern fist to the face of a genre established years ago, while also attempting to cement the band in the annals of Black Metal’s illustrious existence.

Lenax play straightforward, no frills Black Metal. Hailing from the kudzu covered state of Tennessee (Nashville to be precise) they released a slew of singles starting in 2023, an EP called Purity and then a few more singles… until now.

Infection kicks off properly with “Worship Hymn” and it’s here that the ‘fuck yeah’ moments start: this blistering riff leading into some sick blasting and it takes off from there, delivering a very chilly Black Metal track.

Infection has a 1^st and 2^nd wave of Norwegian Black Metal feel to it, reminiscent of early Watain, and some Cradle of Filth-ish melodies creep into “Leeches”, while “Chains” has a grimier Black and Roll center after a flurry of blasts.

The production by Ilarion Ivanenko and Øystein Brun (Borknagar) gives Infection an organic sound; the drums hit hard as fuck, the guitar tone is on point for what’s going on, it really does the music justice.

Lenax are at their most menacing when they slow down and cut grooves in the earth on “Crossroads Black”, personal favorite “Hive Mind Apocalypse” with its earth-shaking heaviness and it’s followed by the Gorgoroth-ish punch of “We are Legion”.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect from Lenax. Then again, I never know what to expect anymore… so there’s that.

I digress because “Plague Bringer” is a vicious little 3:56 minute Black Thrash epic followed by the killer “Overdrive” but it’s “Throne of the Forsaken” that steals the fucking show. It crawls with malicious intent, the guitar ripping with a bit of a Borknagar feeling circa Quintessence… but then it ends.

So what do you do when an album as good as Infection, ends? You hit play again or just let it rotate; which is what I did again and again.

Verdict? This is a fun as fuck album, and it echoes the ravaging spirit of Norwegian Black Metal with some Nashville flair in the mix. Definitely for people who like Borknagar, Watain and Cradle of Filth. Go get it!