Impious - Hellucinate
Metal Blade - 3984-14502-2 - 2004
By Patrick Walsh
Impious play the kind of Swedish death thrash currently peddled by the likes of The Haunted and The Crown, and as such you should already know what to expect. These guys don't piss around, and initial listens sound quite promising. A nice punchy production ensures that the guitars and drums are suitably powerful, and the growled vocals of Martin Akesson have the required conviction to carry the desired aggression.
So far so good, but unfortunately while everything is played to perfection, the songwriting is a little too stale to really grab you. The emphasis on intensity over mucking about too much with melody a la the safer Gothenburg crowd definitely works in their favour, with the result that when they do introduce subtle melodies they have a bit more impact, but there is rarely a moment on Hellucinate when you'll truly feel humbled, and to harness this feeling of awe is to have truly achieved that goal which thrash sets out to. As it stands, Hellucinate is a worthy addition to any rabid thrash consumer's collection, but it's unlikely to be gracing anyone's albums of the year lists.
6.5/10
Impious' Official Website
Metal Blade's Official Website
Metal Blade - 3984-14502-2 - 2004
By Patrick Walsh
Impious play the kind of Swedish death thrash currently peddled by the likes of The Haunted and The Crown, and as such you should already know what to expect. These guys don't piss around, and initial listens sound quite promising. A nice punchy production ensures that the guitars and drums are suitably powerful, and the growled vocals of Martin Akesson have the required conviction to carry the desired aggression.
So far so good, but unfortunately while everything is played to perfection, the songwriting is a little too stale to really grab you. The emphasis on intensity over mucking about too much with melody a la the safer Gothenburg crowd definitely works in their favour, with the result that when they do introduce subtle melodies they have a bit more impact, but there is rarely a moment on Hellucinate when you'll truly feel humbled, and to harness this feeling of awe is to have truly achieved that goal which thrash sets out to. As it stands, Hellucinate is a worthy addition to any rabid thrash consumer's collection, but it's unlikely to be gracing anyone's albums of the year lists.
6.5/10
Impious' Official Website
Metal Blade's Official Website
