Internal Bleeding – “Imperium” [Album Review]

I think the problem with Imperium, the latest album from New York death/slam metallers Internal Bleeding, is that it sounds exactly like you’d expect it to. Right from the off the New York stalwarts smash you in the face with a barrage of blasts, chugs and screams and that’s how it remains right through to the very last moments of “Castigo Corpus Meum,” the final track on this album, where the band step away from their well-worn blueprint and into more interesting waters.

Sure, there is no denying Internal Bleeding have their place in death/slam metal folklore but, after a while, their blueprint of chug, then blast, then chug, then blast does get a somewhat monotonous and the overall effect you’d expect from a band who coined the term ‘slam metal’ gets lost as you fall into a headache induced state of indifference to it all.

Of course there are some really savage, vicious moments littered throughout this breakdown slamfest but, for the most part, the likes of “Placate The Ancients” are simply too predictably in their heaviness for their own good and, while that might keep their legions of slam fans happy, for those of you who want something with a little variety, you’ll find your attention waning even before the final chugs of “Fabricating Bliss” have finished smashing your face in.

As I touched on earlier, during the final moments of album closer “Castigo Corpus Meum,” the sound of the album veers away from the previous chug-driven insanity and into more melodic waters but, by then, it’s too little too late for this listener although if this is an indication of where the band are heading, I won’t write them off just yet.

Track Listing:

01. Fabricating Bliss
02. The Visitant
03. The Pageantry Of Savagery
04. Patterns of Force – Act 1 – The Discovery
05. Patterns of Force – Act 2 – Plague Agenda
06. Patterns of Force – Act 3 – Aftermath
07. Placate The Ancients
08. (In the) Abscence of Soul
09. Castigo Corpus Meum

Run Time: 40:51
Release Date: September 30, 2014

Check out the song “The Pageantry of Savagery”