by Sebastian Kluth
Par kluseba
Over the past fifty years or so, countless bands have developed numerous rock and metal genres. Once you thought you might have heard it all, a band like Impureza comes around. The French quintet sings Spanish lyrics about Latin American legends and tales with an occult touch. As if that weren't enough, the band combines aggressive death metal with atmospheric and almost cinematic undertones and danceable and vivid flamenco guitars and chants. If this description doesn't even make you curious, you can stop reading here and should wonder if there might be something wrong with you.
The stunning thing with Impureza is that the band's seemingly conflicting genres harmonize perfectly. Before a passage can become to aggressive, bleak and fast, a melodic guitar solo saves the song. Whenever an acoustic flamenco interlude with folk chants risks getting too long, the band slowly shifts its atmosphere towards a menacing, mysterious and sinister sound. As soon as the band's skilled instrumental work becomes too speedy and technical, it offers a break with simpler riffs and mid-paced transitions. The five musicians don't only have great musicianship but also stunning chemistry and diversified songwriting. La caida de Tonatiuh never ever gets boring and fascinates from start to finish through twelve songs with a perfect running time around fifty minutes.
The colourful, detailed and inspired cover artwork is the cherry atop the cake and represents the band's sounds and lyrics perfectly. Impureza's style is one of the most exciting things I have ever heard in the extreme metal genre along with the highly atmospheric Black Crown Initiate and the quite progressive Ne Obliviscaris. If you like melodic and progressive death metal with courageous ideas and a unique sound, give this stunning record a chance. Death, Opeth or Strapping Young Lad can go home if compared to this band. It's like kindergärten compared to a university. You might call me a sinner but that's just how great Impureza's La caída de Tonatiuh sounds to my ears. The only reason why my rating isn't even higher than it already is might be the possibility that Impureza could still refine its sound and beat its groundbreaking second full length effort.
Final rating: 93%
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