IMPIOUS

If you're due for a trip to the dentist, then go now to get those filling tightened up before spinning "Death Domination". Otherwise, you're bound to lose a few in the process. What the latest from Sweden's IMPIOUS may lack in originality, it more than makes up for in sheer adrenaline. If you miss bands like THE CROWN, then "Death Domination" may help you get through those nasty withdrawals.

Death/thrash is the catch-all, but "Death Domination" leans even more heavily toward the death metal side of the equation with a slew of neck-wrecking speedsters, and the mayhem begins right out of the chute with "Abomination Glorified" and "The Demand", the latter of which features Johan Lindstrand (ONE MAN ARMY AND THE UNDEAD QUARTET, ex-THE CROWN),while the only time the band eases off the gas slightly on "I am the King" is to allow room for sharp turns into chunk-riffing territory. With a handful of exceptions it is pedal-to-the-metal and defensive driving be damned. Vocalist Martin Akesson only adds to the aggression with a supremely commanding bark-growl, often "sung" in staccato bursts.

Though things can seem samey at times, mainly after the first couple of listens, the band does change things up in the arrangement department by saving the neck some pain on "Rostov Ripper", "Dead Awakening" (with some subtle MORBID ANGEL march-riffing),sections of mid-tempo groove amidst the insanity of "As Death Lives in Me", and most evidently on "And the Empire Shall Fall" during which the band busts out a surprisingly epic melody accented with spooky keyboards on the chorus.

But mostly "Death Domination" is a face breaker of the highest order, kind of like the musical equivalent of Ed Norton curb checking that kid during the beginning of "American History X". Initially, I was thinking that "Death Domination" suffers a bit because of the number of similar albums that have been released in the past, but after more time spent with it the disc it became abundantly clear that the IMPIOUS not only proudly represents the style, but has also assembled a damn solid front-to-back album as far as songwriting is concerned.