Impurity returns to root sound of melodic Swedish death metal
AS far as band monikers go, Impurity is as a bland and generic one can get for a death metal band. Hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, the band was formed in 2021 and was formerly known as Damnation. A rebranding was required to avoid confusion with a Danish black metal band of the same name but the replacement name did little to alleviate the confusion. There are three other bands calling themselves Impurity!
But this Swedish outfit persisted and was swiftly picked up by Hammerheart Records based on the strength of its Forever Lifeless demo. And what a fine debut album this version of Impurity has coughed out. The Eternal Sleep is a proper celebration of the original fuzzy, buzzsaw tone that made a name for Swedish bands, giving rise to the subgenre of melodic death metal, as popularised by seminal acts such as Entombed and Dismember.
Looking to re-create that sound and tone of those early albums such as Left Hand Path and Ever Flowing Stream, Impurity decided to return to the source by engaging Tomas Skosberg and Dan Swano to produce their first LP. The fact that Impurity opted to record in the famed Sunlight Studio in Gothenburg obviously helped as it nailed that famed 'HM-2' sound perfectly. The band has acknowledged that Skosberg was instrumental in getting the guitar tone just right.
Fans of early Entombed and Dismember will love what Impurity has done. Capturing the power and dynamics of those pioneering albums alongside that fat fuzzy tone has elevated Eternal Sleep into something quite special.
The influence of those early Swedish death metal progenitors can be heard on tracks like Denial of Clarity and Ancient Remains. Listening without glancing at track info, listeners could be forgiven for thinking these were tunes were lost Entombed or Dismember tracks.
The thing that keeps the whole enterprise into sinking into a pointless carbon copy is the band's innate grasp of dynamics. These guys just know when to slow things down and just when to bludgeon listeners with a well-timed blast to the eardrums.
It is not just the guitar tone but also the fat bass lines and in-your-face drum sounds that will have fans of this subgenre squalling in orgasmic delight. Metal, in particular this very niche version of it, depends greatly on sonic attacks to create lasting impressions and Impurity nails it.
Lament to the Lost One and Rectifying Pieces have riffs that will have listeners playing air instruments in glee, regardless of gender or age. Yes, it is that infectious and it is metal delivered with a fine, steely edge, all powered by the famed HM-2 guitar effects pedal.
As Oscar Wilde famously quipped, 'Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.' Amen to that!
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AS far as band monikers go, Impurity is as a bland and generic one can get for a death metal band. Hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, the band was formed in 2021 and was formerly known as Damnation. A rebranding was required to avoid confusion with a Danish black metal band of the same name but the replacement moniker did little to alleviate the confusion. There are three other bands calling themselves Impurity! But this Swedish group persisted and was swiftly picked up by Hammerheart Records based on the strength of its Forever Lifeless demo. And what a fine debut album this version of Impurity has coughed out. The Eternal Sleep is a proper celebration of the original fuzzy, buzzsaw tone that made a name for Swedish bands, giving rise to the subgenre of melodic death metal, as popularised by seminal acts such as Entombed and Dismember. Looking to re-create that sound and tone of those early albums such as Left Hand Path and Ever Flowing Stream, Impurity decided to return to the source by engaging Tomas Skosberg and Dan Swano to produce their first LP. The fact that Impurity opted to record in the famed Sunlight Studio in Gothenburg obviously helped as it nailed that famed 'HM-2' sound perfectly. The band has acknowledged that Skosberg was instrumental in getting the guitar tone just right. Fans of early Entombed and Dismember will love what Impurty has done. Capturing the power and dynamics of those pioneering albums alongside that fat fuzzy tone has elevated Eternal Sleep into something quite special. The influence of those early Swedish death metal progenitors can be heard on tracks like Denial of Clarity and Ancient Remains. Listening without glancing at track info, listeners could be forgiven for thinking these were lost Entombed or Dismember tracks. The thing that keeps the whole enterprise into sinking into a pointless carbon copy is the band's innate grasp of dynamics. These guys just know when to slow things down and just when to bludgeon listeners with a well-timed blast to the eardrums. It is not just the guitar tone but also the fat bass lines and in-your-face drum sounds that will have fans of this subgenre squalling in orgasmic delight. Metal, in particular this very niche version of it, depends greatly on sonic attacks to create lasting impressions and Impurity nails it. Lament to the Lost One and Rectifying Pieces have riffs that will have listeners playing air instruments in glee, regardless of gender or age. Yes, it is that infectious and it is metal delivered with a fine, steely edge, all powered by the famed HM-2 guitar effects pedal. As Oscar Wilde famously quipped, 'Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.' Amen to that! The Eternal Sleep is released via the Hammerheart imprint and is available to stream on all major platforms.
