Impaled Albums (5)
'Death After Life'
Release Date 2/21/2005
Tracks 12
Label Century Media
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What The Critics Say
Impaled's Death After Life opens with a snappy, synth-driven introduction reminiscent of B-movie parodies like The Man With Two Brains or Re-Animator -- just one of numerous clever vignettes (others being "Theatre of Operations," "The Dead Shall Dead Remain") adding a little fun and humor to what, by any other measure, would be downright grotesque proceedings. Such is the nature of the band's stock and trade, however: a stomach-turning gore-death style established over the course of three increasingly disturbing and disgusting albums and EPs. Unfortunately, take away this bloody dressing, and the band's salad invariably turns out to be a little less than satiating. Although rarely short of enthusiastic aggression or clinical (pun intended) performance accuracy, tracks like "Wrought in Hell," "Resurrectionists" and "Critical Condition" nevertheless fail to take full possession of the listener's cranial lobe; and truly memorable, more inventive riff-fests such as the classic death-recalling "Gutless" or the insistently slicing "Dead Alive" prove to be exceptions, not the rule. Furthermore, one has to wonder if similarly middle-of-the-road offerings like the raging "Mondo Medicale" and "Medical Waste" are actually leftovers of the earlier albums bearing their names. It's impossible to know for sure, but, as Death After Life nears a close on yet another one of those amusing theatrical asides (the eerie "Coda Morte"), one feels that, were these and the band's unerringly gross lyrics to be amputated, Impaled's remains would be exposed as a limited and, heh-heh, incomplete death metal carcass. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
No one will ever accuse Impaled of subtlety. Both musically and lyrically, Impaled is completely over-the- top -- which goes with the territory when your specialty is death metal. But Medical Waste points to the fact that Impaled, in their own twisted way, are more musical than a lot of bands in the death metal/black metal/grindcore fields. Some death metallers thrive on sensory assault for the sake of sensory assault; they play at breakneck speed 100% of the time and offer little in the way of variety or melody. Impaled, however, aren't quite as predictable. They vary the tempos, playing ultra-fast at times and slowing things down when they see fit. And the vocals aren't one-dimensional; this six-track EP is full of the sort of choked, tormented, larynx-shredding vocals that death metal and grindcore are known for, but some of the vocals border on "normal" headbanger singing (whatever "normal" is -- one man's "normal" is another's "abnormal"). The tunes on Medical Waste fall into three categories: new, original material ("Raise the Stakes," "Choice Cuts," "Gross Anatomy"), new covers (Deadbolt's "The Hearse," and Nirvana's "Tourettes") and live performances ("Back to the Grave," "Until Death"). And when the EP is finished playing, it is obvious that Impaled isn't a one-trick pony -- they're always extreme, but they find different ways to be extreme. Carcass remains a prominent influence; the title Medical Waste lets you know that Impaled continues to share Carcass' sick sense of humor and love of medical themes (although one doesn't need a medical textbook to understand Impaled's song titles). Of course, the differences between Carcass and Impaled will be lost on those who don't care for death metal (which is certainly an acquired taste). Medical Waste is strictly for Impaled's hardcore fans. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The first thing to get out the way when you're talking about Impaled is, yes, they sound like Carcass (specifically, like a cross between Necroticism and Heartwork). Carcass had graphic, medically themed lyrics; Impaled has graphic, medically themed lyrics. Carcass' vocals traded off between high and low growls, and so do Impaled's. (In fact, high-pitched growler Sean McGrath is a dead ringer for Carcass' Jeff Walker.) And, most importantly, both play/played hard-rocking death metal that emphasizes songwriting and melody as much as it does grind and heaviness. With that out of the way (and acknowledging that Impaled is not a complete client -- more on that later), the question is then not whether this is a groundbreaking, totally new album, but simply whether it is a well-put-together and enjoyable one. And the answer is yes. Standout songs such as "Raise the Stakes" and "Choke on It" are full of memorable riffs and guitar solos, and they do a great job of mixing up different rhythms: double-time thrashing, blastbeats, and straight-up rock & roll grooves. There are also some more Swedish-accented riffs (à la At the Gates or Dissection) which work well within this style. Impaled's emphasis on actually writing good songs is refreshing in an era where so many extreme metal bands overlooked this important aspect at the expense of being technical or "brutal." Impaled also has a great, sly sense of humor, most notable here in the hilariously deadpan intro monologue given by bassist Ross Sewage (which ties in with the album's whole evil doctor theme). In short, Mondo Medicale is a fine piece of work that will both please (and, of course, disgust) fans of good-old gory death metal. ~ William York, All Music Guide
'Dead Shall Dead Remain'
Release Date 2/15/2000
Tracks 12
Label Deathvomit Records
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