Impious
Terror Succeeds

September 2001
Released: 2001, Century Media
Rating: 3.0/5
Reviewer: Michael De Los Muertos

Sweden has always struck me as a civilized and progressive country, but there’s obviously something in the water up there that turns nice little boys into snarling, guitar-pounding death metal lunatics. I recall when Chernobyl blew up in 1986 the resulting radioactive cloud drifted over Scandinavia. Perhaps the key to Sweden’s metal success is as simple as excess amounts of Strontium-90 in many young men’s bone marrow?



Impious are yet another batch of them, serving up a very quick-paced slab of brutal death metal that sounds a lot like the Gothenburg stuff without a lot of the melody. The first track on TERROR SUCCEEDS, “Soul Excursion,” begins the assault from the opening seconds. I’m reminded of a less dry, less crunchy Dismember throughout much of this. I’m quite sure the death fans among us who enjoy that crispy Swedish sound will find quite a lot to redeem TERROR SUCCEEDS, particularly in the drum work of Ulf Johansson and the very traditional Swedeath vocals of Martin Akesson. On the whole this album is very well-written, well-produced and well-played. Energy is frenetic and consistent. “Retaliation” is a stand-out track, but the best on the album for my money is “Nightmare Resurrection,” the final song, which goes through several different movements – most of them fast and brutal – and just barely edges into “epic” territory, particularly with its bombastic symphony-like ending. It’s also on this track that guitarist Valle Adzic shows off his best stuff.



I liked this album and I think you will too. Impious is a band worth checking out again. If you heard the Sepultura tribute called SEPULCHRAL FEAST you may already be familiar with them. Refamiliarize yourself; TERROR SUCCEEDS is a keeper.