Year: 2021
Total Time: 32:39
Label: Osmose Productions
The lunatics Finnish Black Metallers IMPALED NAZARENE are a band which was trapped in the repeatability of its sound and in combination with the antics of some band members they lost the respect they had created in the mid-90s, with records such as “Tol Corbett Norz Norz Norz…”, “Latex Cult” and of course the amazing “Ugra-Karma”. After 2014’s “Vigorous and Liberating Death”, there was silence from the band’s camp until 2020 when suddenly they announced the preparation of their new release “Eight Headed Serpent”, which was released on May.
I do not think anyone, even if they are not quite familiar with the band, will be surprised by the content and musical style of “Eight Headed Serpent”. The Finns, known for their extreme humor and love for Christianity, decided to use an extract from an exorcism as an introduction. I would suggest everyone to watch this video (look for it as Demon Oral Sex)… so as the pastor tries to free the poor woman from her demons, the first notes of the sweeping “Goat Of Mendes” burst and the evil machine of IMPALED NAZARENE begins its destructive hellish work. Thirty-two minutes of quality crushing Black Metal with influences from MOTORHEAD, SODOM and Punk, as we are used by the band over the years. They sound incredibly compact and rapid in rhythm, while the speed has been pushed back only in the final song “Foucault Pendulum”, which moves in a mid-tempo path.
The Finns manage to release after a seven-year absence a very strong album, which is clearly superior to their previous releases. The truth is that their sound is monotonous, so by not bombing us with a new release every two years definitely worked to their advantage as they sound fresh and full of energy. Those who learned and loved IMPALED NAZARENE through the albums “Ugra-Karma”, “Latex Cult” and “Rapture” will be delighted, as “Eight Headed Serpent” through its brutality has something of the atmosphere of the band’s first releases.
Rating: 7.5/10
Editor: Nikos Manousis
Related Link: IMPALED NAZARENE – Facebook Page
