Review Summary: Simultaneously generic and experimental.
I am not entirely sure at which point exactly I should begin to describe what Impaler bring to the musical table. On one hand, we are presented with yet another generic deathcore band, ready to take their place among legions of similarly afflicted peers. On the opposing appendage, however, Impaler seem eager to inject their music with as much variety and passion as they can muster, resulting in an album with undeniable entertainment value and an enjoyable, if hollow experience.
Immediately, the ingredients for mediocrity reveal themselves, and it appears as though the entire spectrum is present. From chug-laden guitar playing, a drummer who is overly reliant on his kick, undetectable bass work and profanity saturated lyricism; all signs initially indicate disappointment. And yet, the resulting EP boasts some very interesting material despite all it has going against it. Behind the horrid lyricism is a vocalist ready to experiment; utilising a combination of gravelly growls, screamed sections and heavily accented cleans to spice it up. In coalition with the vocalist, there are also a collection of spoken-word samples and well-placed gang vocals interspersed throughout the EP. Closing track ‘New Blood’ also features vocalist Ash Cox who contributes his higher, shriek-like style to the demo. Of course, none of this can disguise the poor quality lyrics being spat out here. The ever-poetic use of obscenities seems a favoured writing tool, with choice phrases such as
”I found out in the beginning/Compassion is an a**hole/That likes to s*** on you/No one gave me the f***ing time of day”, taken from ‘Dad Jokes’. The swearing definitely takes its toll on the quality of the lyricism, feeling more like a gimmick used for shock value as opposed to being a vessel for intensity as the demo pretends.
It should certainly be mentioned that, for a collection of tracks flying the flag of ‘demo’, the production is mostly excellent. Aside from a bass player whose presence on the EP could justifiably be questioned had it not been riddled with breakdowns, the production otherwise perfectly balances the remaining elements. The drumming is suitably percussive, which can be attributed to the aforementioned over indulgence of the kick. In any case, the drummer certainly gives the album a noticeable punch and generally sets a machine-gun tempo, although he avoids becoming irritating in the process. Undoubtedly, this isn’t the first, nor shall it be the last album to neglect the bass player. The only instances in which his playing becomes remotely discernible is during a handful of the many breakdowns, of which there are an unhealthy number. The guitarists suffer not, as their simplistic, down-tuned barrage of downstrokes takes centre stage. Were it not for the conscious effort to frequently change their approach, the somewhat lazy style would quickly become banal. The songwriting overall is essentially what saves this album because strangely, the band members are capable songwriters, they just refuse to display instrumental proficiency for any length of time.
What this demo essentially becomes is a collection of potential disasters placed together in Frankenstein fashion, resembling a quality album but lacking the key components to make it a reality. We are left with an enjoyable EP carrying little musical merit besides a good time to cathartically release blind hatred. In one way or another, the bands promise of “we are here to harness your hate” will likely come to fruition, but potentially not in the manner the phrase was intended.
