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- ALBUM REVIEWS -
- I -
- IXXI [2009] Elect Darkess -
Label: Candlelight Records
Review by Marty DiPietro
RATING: 7 \m/
Elect Darkness is the bands first release off Candlelight records but their third full-length (Sigilla Malae, Total Holocaust Records). The main quality about this album is that it’s very well recorded. The guitars have a really nice and clean crunch to them with some cool groove riffs throughout. The Bass lines kicked total ass almost the entire album, with little breaks in the guitars to bring the bass line right up front. It gave off a cool chill tone with all the harmonics on the guitar. Totalscorn’s vocals have improved somewhat as far as the operatic clean vocal parts go, and his range has gotten wider with his raspy growls. Tthe speach-like sections in the lyrics were pretty interesting to listen to and try and figure out what he’s trying to explain. The entire time you just get this feeling of hate and evil with the atmosphere the music has.
The first song, Underworld, has lots of wicked bass riffs and some beefy verse riffs, while still keeping a dark black metal mood the entire 7:38 minutes of the song. Southern Tribes starts off with a repeating riff that almost made me turn it off, but it picks up into some sick black metal for most of the song switching it up a few times. Cool tune. Beyond The Rupture is probably one of the evilest fucking songs I’ve heard in a long time. The chugging guitars and slow tempo with some nice squeals thrown in sound so heavy. About 1:50 minutes in the vocals kind of reminded me of Nevermore, which I think is cool. This is probably my favourite song on the album. Enthusiasm is the most black metal sounding song on the whole album. It has rawer sounding guitars and riffs that are far more droning.
I’m going to finish this up with this album being 7 horn’s. It’s good, cool to listen to after smoking a few joints, but I much prefer their older albums, “Assorted Armament” and their self-titled “IXXI”.
- IMPIETY [2008] Dominator EP -
Label: Pulverised Records
Review by Mark Howitt
RATING: 8 \m/
What a crushing release from Singapore’s Impiety. Dominator, the latest Mini CD from a very under rated band, this five song EP contains as much aggression as ten full length albums, and about as much evil as you can fit into a local church. Brought to you by Pulverised Records, the same people who brought us the crushing thrash release Blood Money by Guillotine, as well as several other thrash soaked gems in more recent years.
Impiety has a very strong thrash influence, however their sound is composed mainly of other genres in their hateful concoction, which comes in the forms of Black and Death Metal. Impiety take the most abrasive aspects of all three of these genres, and intertwine them in a chaotic scene similar to that of perhaps Hiroshima. The constant onslaught that comes from this album can be related to bands like Belphegor, Krisiun, and Arkhon Infaustus, but perhaps much more constant. Impiety are purposely trying to cave in your skull with every track. The drumming on this EP is super sonic in speed, and a sheer relentless attack on the senses. He must have downed six cases of energy drinks before doing his drum tracks for this release. A thoughtful warning to anyone that is now curious about this release. If you have had problems with seizures in the past, then please do not listen to this album as it will cause you to violently erupt into spastic convulsions where you stand. This album is truly that heavy and should not be underestimated. Upon conclusion of the opening introduction sequence, and its battle like structure, Impiety rip through four tracks of blasting madness right through to the finale track At War With Temujin.
Another bonus to this EP is that it also contains a disgusting cover of Sarcofago’s The Black Vomit, which is very well executed. It surpasses the original version in its heaviness tenfold, doing it great justice. Dominator also features a guest appearance by Lord Ashir of Infernal Execrator, another great Black/Death hybrid from Singapore. I am truly anticipating the follow up release to this album.
Perhaps the main reason I enjoy this release so much is how dark the songs are in their composition. A lot of newer thrash influenced bands are not that dark overall in sound, but Impiety surpass that with flying colors? I have not heard anything as fast as this since I first saw Anhkrehg from Canada, or perhaps the first time I recall listening to Belphegor. The intensity of what is happening musically here is truly crushing and encompassing, never letting up on its delivery and attack. These guys are definitely an under rated band, and with Dominator, they are putting themselves on the map as a band that is not afraid to go all out, and destroy all that is in sight. If you want evil destructive music at break neck speeds, then look no further than Singapore’s psychotic flesh ripping horde, Impiety.
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