Warlords of Death

While Brazil is certainly the wellspring of sweltering black/death/thrash metal amalgamations of the most primal kind, the rest of South America isn't too far behind. Peru, for example, has produced a number of memorable bands in the style, yet it would seem to be early days still for the remainder of South America. Impaler of Pest is a Colombian band attempting to reach into the humid, goat worshiping sounds of Sarcófago and Vulcano.

The band calls their style “Depraved War Fucking Goat Metal”. I could probably end the review there, because we all know what to expect when a band uses war or goats in their description: raw, aggressive, primal, and filthy. Warlords of Death, the sophomore full length album from Impalers of Pest delivers on that self-description, as it's an album chock full of heavy handed blackened riffing and unrepentant blasting. From the opening title track to the very end Impaler of Pest deliver a churning maelstrom of primal, first wave attitude and twisting death metal riffing. The deep, gravelly growls offer a maniacal narrative guide through the sweltering metal.

For all its bluster and impenitent heaviness, Warlords of Death offers little to remember after the music stops. Sure, there are a few really catchy moments of headbangable riffing, like during “Colombian Hellish Attack”, but the majority of the album blends together in a wall of blackened, deathened aggression. The album succeeds at being “Depraved War Fucking Goat Metal” but there are a lot of bands playing the same style in a more memorable fashion. So, it's pretty cool while it's on but I really can't find a reason to come back to this.