Impious - Holy Murder Masquerade
Metal Blade Records - SPVCD085-105272 - 29th January 2007
by Tom Strutton
At the risk of stating something that most probably everyone here already knows, Sweden really does deliver some excellent bands. I will never tire of conversing with people about this simple fact, purely because I am fascinated by how far political, cultural, and socio-economic trends can influence the music output of a particular nation. Now, I by no means claim to be an expert on Swedish culture, but there must certainly be something ingrained in the way these people think about music that accounts for their apparent self-imposed high standards. Of course, every country has its throwaway bands, but when the Swedes get it right they really do hit the nail on the proverbial head. Impious, hailing from Trollhattan, exemplify this spirit of artistic consistency with their solid and rewarding fifth lp, Holy Murder Masquerade. As a follow up to 2004's well received Hellucinate, HMM finds its own niche in the bands ouevre as a concept album, complete with neat comic-book illustrations in the accompanying booklet. As an indication of the level of attention devoted to the albums conceptual basis, it is worth mentioning that professional voice actors were employed to voice certain parts. To find out more about the concept itself, check out an interview with Valle Adzic posted on the Metal Blade Records website (link below).
Holy Murder Masquerade is a decidely more melodic and catchy affair than its predecessor, though this observation should not be taken as a value judgement. HMM is firmly rooted in a wider death/thrash tradition and most of the songs are classicaly constructed. It is this awareness of (not to be mistaken for 'adherence to') tradition that makes Impious stick out amongst the hordes of faceless bands masquerading as 'progressive-death-hardcore-grind', bands that will ultimately drown in a merciless ocean of anonymity. What HMM lacks in pushing the envelope it more than makes up for in delivering awesome musicianship. Most pleasing of all aspects is Martin Akesson's vocal delivery, which almost approaches Akerfeldt's in terms of the special place it occupies in failing to irritate on any level what-so-ever (fans of Akerfeldt's inimitable growl ahould appreciate Akesson's close approximation). The second most pleasing aspect here is the mood; most of the tracks are thoroughy rousing and lift the spirit, performed with extra-special attention to tightness. The third most pleasing aspect is the treatment of musical texture; whilst too many bands make textures too thin or too busy, Impious have constructed their newest creation with a careful balance of lead and rhythm parts. This makes for a comfortable, fluid listening experience (i.e you won't find yourself working hard to sit through this album), and for that I take my hat off to all involved.
What is perhaps most striking about HMM, especially given today's extreme metal climate, is the modest attitude toward instrumental prowess displayed here. None of the members do more than is necessary to secure the success of the composition in question. What we have here is a level of artistic restraint that the band should be extremely proud of, and one which wins them extra points with this critic. The tracks themselves are expertly crafted; little gems of melodic death/thrash that might just charm ther way onto your most-played lists. At a mean average of around three minutes, none of them outstay their welcome and all of them have a unique character of the sort that sparks debate among fans as to which is the best. Whether or not the prospectve listener chooses to follow the storyline/concept, aural gratification is almost certainly assured.
In truth, it is difficut to level criticisms at this incredibly fresh and catchy album. I can think of plenty of ways that this album would have been a failure in the hands of other bands, but Impious, probably as a result of their experience, steer clear of the obvious potential pitfalls and have produced one of the first great albums of the year. This is very highly recommended for fans of honest, rousing, hook-laden metal with accomplished death metal vocals.
Official With Impious Website
Official Metal Blade Records Website
Metal Blade Records - SPVCD085-105272 - 29th January 2007
by Tom Strutton
At the risk of stating something that most probably everyone here already knows, Sweden really does deliver some excellent bands. I will never tire of conversing with people about this simple fact, purely because I am fascinated by how far political, cultural, and socio-economic trends can influence the music output of a particular nation. Now, I by no means claim to be an expert on Swedish culture, but there must certainly be something ingrained in the way these people think about music that accounts for their apparent self-imposed high standards. Of course, every country has its throwaway bands, but when the Swedes get it right they really do hit the nail on the proverbial head. Impious, hailing from Trollhattan, exemplify this spirit of artistic consistency with their solid and rewarding fifth lp, Holy Murder Masquerade. As a follow up to 2004's well received Hellucinate, HMM finds its own niche in the bands ouevre as a concept album, complete with neat comic-book illustrations in the accompanying booklet. As an indication of the level of attention devoted to the albums conceptual basis, it is worth mentioning that professional voice actors were employed to voice certain parts. To find out more about the concept itself, check out an interview with Valle Adzic posted on the Metal Blade Records website (link below).
Holy Murder Masquerade is a decidely more melodic and catchy affair than its predecessor, though this observation should not be taken as a value judgement. HMM is firmly rooted in a wider death/thrash tradition and most of the songs are classicaly constructed. It is this awareness of (not to be mistaken for 'adherence to') tradition that makes Impious stick out amongst the hordes of faceless bands masquerading as 'progressive-death-hardcore-grind', bands that will ultimately drown in a merciless ocean of anonymity. What HMM lacks in pushing the envelope it more than makes up for in delivering awesome musicianship. Most pleasing of all aspects is Martin Akesson's vocal delivery, which almost approaches Akerfeldt's in terms of the special place it occupies in failing to irritate on any level what-so-ever (fans of Akerfeldt's inimitable growl ahould appreciate Akesson's close approximation). The second most pleasing aspect here is the mood; most of the tracks are thoroughy rousing and lift the spirit, performed with extra-special attention to tightness. The third most pleasing aspect is the treatment of musical texture; whilst too many bands make textures too thin or too busy, Impious have constructed their newest creation with a careful balance of lead and rhythm parts. This makes for a comfortable, fluid listening experience (i.e you won't find yourself working hard to sit through this album), and for that I take my hat off to all involved.
What is perhaps most striking about HMM, especially given today's extreme metal climate, is the modest attitude toward instrumental prowess displayed here. None of the members do more than is necessary to secure the success of the composition in question. What we have here is a level of artistic restraint that the band should be extremely proud of, and one which wins them extra points with this critic. The tracks themselves are expertly crafted; little gems of melodic death/thrash that might just charm ther way onto your most-played lists. At a mean average of around three minutes, none of them outstay their welcome and all of them have a unique character of the sort that sparks debate among fans as to which is the best. Whether or not the prospectve listener chooses to follow the storyline/concept, aural gratification is almost certainly assured.
In truth, it is difficut to level criticisms at this incredibly fresh and catchy album. I can think of plenty of ways that this album would have been a failure in the hands of other bands, but Impious, probably as a result of their experience, steer clear of the obvious potential pitfalls and have produced one of the first great albums of the year. This is very highly recommended for fans of honest, rousing, hook-laden metal with accomplished death metal vocals.
Official With Impious Website
Official Metal Blade Records Website
