Impurity (Fleshcrawl album)
Encyclopedia
Impurity is the second studio album
by the German
death metal
band Fleshcrawl
. It was their first album to feature guitarist Mike Hanus, brother of founding member Stefan Hanus and it is the only Fleshcrawl album thus far that does not bear the "carved-in-flesh" Fleshcrawl logo.http://www.fleshcrawl.net/fc_content.php?option=releases
This album is different than the preceding Descend into the Absurd
in that it is somewhat more melodic and musically organized, thus making it closer to the Swedish
sub-genre of Death metal
in relation than their earlier releases, which carry a more generic death metal sound. As is typical of their mid-1990s albums, and of mid-1990s Swedish
/Melodic
Death metal
in general, Impurity is characterized by rapid Bass Drum
rolls that alternate with slower, more intense patterns, particularly to counter the mid-to-high tempo guitar
riff
s. However, the sound of this album is unique among similar bands of the same time in that the drums are toned somewhat higher than usual, resulting in a "tinny" sound not unlike that of many mid-1990s Black metal
bands.
The major lyrical themes of this album are consistent with their previous releases, and tend to focus on grim, dark subjects, as is common in death metal, such as evil
, death
, slavery
to dark forces (Subordinate), sacrifice
(Center Of Hate), and homicide
& genocide
(Incineration).
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band Fleshcrawl
Fleshcrawl
Fleshcrawl is a death metal band formed in 1987 in Illertissen, Bavaria, Germany. Their most recent album, Structures Of Death, was released in 2007, under Metal Blade Records.-1987-1997:...
. It was their first album to feature guitarist Mike Hanus, brother of founding member Stefan Hanus and it is the only Fleshcrawl album thus far that does not bear the "carved-in-flesh" Fleshcrawl logo.http://www.fleshcrawl.net/fc_content.php?option=releases
This album is different than the preceding Descend into the Absurd
Descend into the Absurd
Descend Into The Absurd is the first studio album by the German death metal band Fleshcrawl. It was the only Fleshcrawl album on which guitarist Giro Schmidt appeared....
in that it is somewhat more melodic and musically organized, thus making it closer to the Swedish
Scandinavian death metal
Swedish death metal is a death metal music scene developed in Sweden. Many Swedish death metal bands are associated with the melodic death metal movement, thus giving Swedish death metal a different sound from other variations of death metal. Unlike American death metal groups, the first Swedish...
sub-genre of Death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
in relation than their earlier releases, which carry a more generic death metal sound. As is typical of their mid-1990s albums, and of mid-1990s Swedish
Scandinavian death metal
Swedish death metal is a death metal music scene developed in Sweden. Many Swedish death metal bands are associated with the melodic death metal movement, thus giving Swedish death metal a different sound from other variations of death metal. Unlike American death metal groups, the first Swedish...
/Melodic
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
Death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
in general, Impurity is characterized by rapid Bass Drum
Bass drum
Bass drums are percussion instruments that can vary in size and are used in several musical genres. Three major types of bass drums can be distinguished. The type usually seen or heard in orchestral, ensemble or concert band music is the orchestral, or concert bass drum . It is the largest drum of...
rolls that alternate with slower, more intense patterns, particularly to counter the mid-to-high tempo guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
s. However, the sound of this album is unique among similar bands of the same time in that the drums are toned somewhat higher than usual, resulting in a "tinny" sound not unlike that of many mid-1990s Black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
bands.
The major lyrical themes of this album are consistent with their previous releases, and tend to focus on grim, dark subjects, as is common in death metal, such as evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
, death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
, slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
to dark forces (Subordinate), sacrifice
Sacrifice
Sacrifice is the offering of food, objects or the lives of animals or people to God or the gods as an act of propitiation or worship.While sacrifice often implies ritual killing, the term offering can be used for bloodless sacrifices of cereal food or artifacts...
(Center Of Hate), and homicide
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
& genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
(Incineration).
Track listing
- "From The Dead To The Living" - 02:33
- "Withering Life" - 02:37
- "Reincarnation ( DemigodDemigod (band)Demigod was a death metal band formed in 1990 in Loimaa, Finland. The band's debut album Slumber of Sullen Eyes is highly regarded in the heavy metal community...
Cover)" - 04:42 - "Subordinate" - 03:35
- "Disfigured" - 02:17
- "After Obliteration" - 01:12 (Instrumental)
- "Stiffen Souls" - 03:36
- "Center Of Hate" - 03:59
- "Inevitable End" - 04:29
- "Incineration" - 05:48
Line Up
- Alex Pretzer – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Mike Hanus – GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Stefan Hanus – GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Markus Amann - BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Bastian Herzog – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Credits
- Produced by Fleshcrawl & Dan Swanö
- Recorded and mixed at Unisound StudioUnisoundUnisound is a recording studio that used to be in Finspång but was closed down by Dan Swanö it because of his family but it was relocated to Örebro, Sweden into his Home....
in Finspang, Sweden, December 1993 - Engineered by Dan Swanö. Mixed by Fleshcrawl & Dan Swanö
- All music & lyrics by Fleshcrawl, except "Reincarnation" by Demigod (Laitinen/Linden/Parviainen/Taatila) and "After Obliteration" by Dan Swanö
- Cover photo by Getha Weeber, all other pics by Claudia Eckhard, Günter Hellwig and Christina Weikmann. Graphic work by Stefan Hanus, Alex Pretzer, Manfred & Nina Ottow