Thrashingfist Productions CD edition has a different order of songs than on other editions.
In more recent times I’ve been revisiting and discovering a lot of underrated and underground metal. Whether it be some classic thrash metal, death metal, or blackened thrash hidden gems I have never heard of. And when it comes to revisiting some classic underground extreme metal releases. Impiety’s debut album “Asateerul Awaleem” is one I’ve been revisiting a lot more than a lot of others. Their unique blend of classic black metal and absolutely ruthless riffy thrash metal sounds like nobody. There’s also a hint of death metal here and there. But mostly it’s blackened thrash chaos with riffs for fucking days. And “Asateerul Awaleem” is and always has been my favorite offering from these Singapore legends.
Keeping a listener engaged is a tough task for a lot of bands. It can make or break how enjoyable and interesting the music is. You don’t want someone to go to sleep while listening to your music because they’re bored. Instead, you want to captivate them with your music and expression. And I’m happy to say Impiety does not slouch on this. Their debut album is nearly 40 minutes of some of the most catchy, aggressive, and memorable blackened thrash I’ve ever heard.
Each song is very relentless and very lengthy. With every song except for one (minus the intro/outro) breaching the 5-7 minute mark. But don’t let that deter you because each song is distinguishable and extremely hard-hitting. Every time I hear this album it gives me a pump of energy and adrenaline that makes me go nuts. It doesn’t lose its intensity for a moment and is always pounding into your skull.
The production quality and mixing of this album is amazing. It’s extremely bare and raw, yet it has such a crisp sound to it. The guitars have that black metal raw edge to them, making them sound absolutely feral and fuzzy. This production is also a great example of how to mix the bass right because I can hear it throughout this entire album. The vocals are perfectly in the middle and the sound quality is great. They’re not too loud or quiet, instead, they sound ungodly aggressive.
Shyaithan’s vocals are another example of the more black metal side of this band. His vocals consist mainly of very high and ear-splitting shrieks. To me, it sounds a lot like early Gorgoroth (specifically Hat) when it comes to how high and feral the vocals sound. This is also where Shyaithan’s vocals would be this high and shriek-dominant. So it makes this album stand out amongst Impiety’s catalog.
Now let’s talk about those goddamn RIFFS. Every single song is packed with extremely aggressive and rhythmic riffs. Flowing perfectly with the bass as it constantly bashes you over the head. There is a lot of variation between the riffs so that nothing has the same pattern to them. And holy hell this album grooves, specifically the first song “Anal-Madonna”. That has thrashy riffs for fucking days. The more rhythmical and groovy sections are where you see the thrash metal influences begin to show.
You also get a nice feel of black metal with the more tremolo-styled riffs and sections. The music flows amazingly and has a great balance of black metal, thrash metal, and some death metal-influenced areas here and there. There are so many headbanging beats and riffs it’s insane. And the feral energy behind it makes it even better, it sounds tight yet very ballistic.
The drumming on this album is another element that’s very tight and ruthless. Blast beats are used a lot throughout here and have a very classic black metal sound. But you also get these faster blasts that make things even faster. It’s got a nice blend of those and the more slow Norwegian-style blasts. Iblyss has some very nice patterns and pummeling double bass to offer as well. Nothing gets too repetitive and always has a nice rhythm to it.
When it comes to favorite tracks it’s very hard to choose. Because I love each song. But if I had to pick my favorite song on this album is the opening song “Anal-Madonna”. I will always remember hearing that opening shriek and that beginning hooky groove for the first time. It’s also the song I always come back to when it comes to this album. Some other nasty songs include “Divine Hutamahan Frostfuck”, and “Hymnvocation of Nazarethian Nunwhores”.
This is a perfect example of blackened thrash that more people need to talk about. This is how this style of black metal is done right. It’s extremely aggressive, memorable, and hooky. It takes no prisoners and always grabs you by the throat. There is no filler to be found here. It’s all killer. If you want some highly flavored blackened thrash with some balls. And something to bang your head on to. Listen to this album. Great shit.
Sample:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e230tG_a7XY&t=375s
