Impalers – Styx Demon: The Master of Death

Impalers are easily some of the reigning kings of modern thrash metal in Denmark. With two albums and an EP to their name to date, they have returned in 2017 with another EP. Much like their last short release, “Styx Demon: The Master of Death” is a tale of two halves. The first half shows the band in full thrashing form, while the latter part pays tribute to some of the band’s heroes.

Both “Megalodon” and “Styx Demon” offer some of the most face-ripping thrash in existence. Impalers distinguishes themselves from the crowd by offering up vocals that will absolutely tear your throat out. Mille from Kreator is clearly the primary influence, but Søren Crawack’s voice goes several notches further. The music is similarly fitting. Much like Kreator, Impalers primarily play at absurd speeds, with crushing breakdowns used at opportune moments. The title track has some NWOBHM vibes in the style of riffing it uses, but is ultimately much faster than anything that movement produced. This latter song is probably the better of the two, but both would provide ample opportunity for moshing, stage diving, or crowd surfing in any live performance.

Side two of this record is certainly more interesting (though not necessarily better). Impalers covers “Death Comes Ripping”, by Misfits, and “Prowler” by Iron Maiden. Both of these tracks are a far cry from the vicious thrash that the band typically plays, but Søren is able to adjust his voice appropriately, showing that he’s also a pretty decent singer. As someone that is not much of a punk fan, the Maiden cover is far more convincing than the Misfits one (fortunately, “Prowler” is about three times longer than “Death Comes Ripping”, even if some of that time is silence). Impalers’ rendition of “Prowler” is pretty faithful to the original, but it’s still nice to hear a thrash band’s take on the song. 

“Styx Demon: The Master of Death” is another excellent release from this Denmark thrash group. It may not be the best starting point for the band given that it only has two original tracks, but anyone who is already a fan is sure to enjoy this release. If anything, it leaves you wanting more, which is the exact purpose of an EP. For this reason alone, “Styx Demon: The Master of Death”, is a top-notch effort that is highly recommended for all thrashers!

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Highlights

"Styx Demon"

"Prowler"

Final Rating

4.4/5 or 88%. 

Written by Scott