While the first side of Infest the Rats’ Nest mainly centers on how humanity is capable of destroying everything around them to catastrophic and existential results, “Superbug” shows another thing that can lead to the end of human life. The lyrics detail a virus so deadly and resistant to antibiotics that it is virtually unstoppable, a result of governments and doctors waiting to deal with it rather than tackling it as soon as it appeared. The concept of the song is a very real threat. Using various different antibiotics decade upon decade, even when they weren’t fit for the purpose (for example viral diseases), forces pathogens to evolve to become more and more resilient, to the point where antibiotics are no longer able to stop them. These are superbugs. In the past decade antibiotic resistance has become a fast growing problem, with some organizations such as the CDC arguing we’re in a “post-antibiotic” world. This poses serious risks to the health of humanity with potential to cause a global pandemic.
In a Flightless newsletter, they wrote “‘Superbug’ sings of the type of lurgy that will one day destroy us all…” The song turned out to be a bit prophetic, as in the following year the COVID-19 pandemic began, demonstrating the possible future in store if we don’t fight these diseases as they appear (the band even said on 2022-04-26 that it’s a “song we wrote in 2019 about 2020.”) Though not technically a superbug, the CDC has said that the COVID-19 pandemic has made fighting antibiotic resistance more difficult, and that “the threat of antimicrobial-resistant infections is not only still present but has gotten worse.” Paired with scientists warning of how diseases will be easier transmitted due to global warming, the COVID-19 lockdown may not be the only event “Superbug” warns of.

It was performed by Stu (vocals/guitar), Joey (bass), Cavs (drums), Ambrose (backing vocals) and Cook (guitar).