Impalement – The Dawn of Blackened Death
Release Date: 27th October 2023
Label: Self Released
Bandcamp
Genre: Black Metal, Death Metal.
FFO: Belphegor, Gogoroth, Behemoth.
Review By: Paul Cairney
Beliath is a talented man!
Impalement, with the exception of using a session drummer, Torturer and a couple of snippets from live band members in a handful of tracks, is essentially a 1-man recording band. Yes, Beliath basically wrote and delivered most of The Dawn of Blackened Death, the bands 2nd full length album.
This follows on from the similar process invoked on the debut album ‘The Impalement’, an album that was well received in the world of extreme metal, full of darkened, blackened Death Metal riffs. So, despite having a touring band, The Dawn of Blackened Death is Beliath’s baby. However, the fact that such a strong album has been delivered in this manner fades into oblivion when you find out that Impalement do not have a major label record deal. This album is self-released, which considering the quality is nothing short of astonishing.
41 minutes long, with 7 consistently good songs and an album title that fits, The Dawn of Blackened Death has no discernible weaknesses. Production is befitting an album of this nature, there is a nice balance between the instruments. Perhaps the mere fact that there is not multiple competing voices or egos allows for a more singular vision. This comes across throughout the album.
Immediately on pressing play, opening track, ‘The Herd Marches On’ embeds itself in your skull, with the initial scream and then the frenetic drumming and riffs before it settles down to deliver a robust slab of metal. On ‘Dawn of Blackened Death’, we are treated to a more traditional Death Metal track, with the vocals impressing.
In keeping the album to a mere 7 tracks, Impalement ensure that The Dawn of Blackened Death maintains its focus throughout. There is no splitting the album into 2, the 1st half of the album is as consistent and enjoyable as the 2nd. That said, the final 2 tracks, ‘Death to the Gods’ and ‘Chosen By Tragedy’ are particularly strong, and it is always good to end a good album on a high, is it not?
As the opening sentence states, Beliath is a talented man – an incredibly talented man!
(4 / 5)
