Sanity of Impiety - In Life We Despise EP

Once more Sweden expels a death metal band worthy of some praise in Sanity of Impiety. This trio doesn’t necessarily put Grave, Bloodbath or Hypocrisy to total shame, but they do lend a new name to the list of solid death metal units fit for violent headbanging with In Life We Despise.

This EP is a surprisingly brilliant nod to the old school while still retaining some of the current elements that still make death metal music a vital institution within our scene. I admittedly am not a fan of the grindcore/death sound, but I understand and appreciate its place in the realm; Sanity of Impiety only flows with the fluidity of the old-school in terms of guitar tone and riff mastery that sounds like a slightly less ‘deadly’ Grave ala Soulless. From the slower parts of introspection to the speedy pathways of caustic invitation, this short, but stinging jaunt is just the right fit for us few holdovers that cling to the past masters’ sound for dear life.

What I also like is how the EP has a very pure sound to it; you can tell this was a homespun labor of love with particular attention paid to guitar tone and style. I’m pretty sure the drum sound is programmed, but it matters little when you hear the massive torrent of deadly force being leveled at your head through the course of five tracks. This band shows a lot of talent and promise, as it’s one of the better bands to emerge with that ‘stripped-down, bare-bone’ style of death. Without going completely guttural and/or with C-tuned discord, In Life We Despise is a grower as it keeps getting repeat listens, but truthfully after one listen you should really like what you’re hearing.       

“The Ladder” is my favorite track, but “In Death We Unite” is right up there as well. I really enjoyed the clean tone in “The Sinister Lullaby” that was most unexpected and fit just perfectly in its brief appearance. I don’t exactly hear a weak track on this recording and I know some label somewhere will want these guys on its roster. The sheer simplicity of these songs make them a more lasting and enjoyable venture for me when a death metal fix is in need. Sweden once more provides us a viable force to engage when our brutal taste needs just the right amount of crunch and unpolished aural clarity.

Release Date: January, 2011
Label: Band Self Released

TRACK LISTING

1.  In Death We Unite
2.  When Feeding the Divine
3.  Sane in an Insane World
4.  The Ladder
5.  The Sinister Lullaby

Total playing time:  23:31

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*Comments:

Reviewer: Chris

March 23, 2011