Reviewed by: Debdip Chakraborty
Impending Hostility is the third album by the Polish band called Preludium. Before I begin writing about the album, let me introduce you to the band. The band has been there since 1999, but their first album came in around 2004. A long gap, but again it was worth the wait. The band plays black/death metal and the sound of the band is just absorbing. If you are a worshiper of Bolt Thrower from England and Hail Of Bullets from Netherlands, and are looking forward to some of the bands playing a style similar to them, pick up this band, blindly. This is my word of honor and you will not be disappointed at all.
The album begins with the song ‘Legacy Of Destination’, with armies marching towards their common destination, the war field. As soon as the gigantic vocals of Lukasz Dziamarski come into play with his hate-fueled riffs, you know this song will be an instant war bringer. This has to be one of the best intro tracks to begin a black/death metal album; the way the blast beats go in the drumming by Piotr Ungeheuer, you will have the feel as if missiles are attacking you from every corner.
Enough said, moving on, the track follows up with the songs, ‘Realm Of The Void’ and ‘Desolation’, the two songs attacking you with cannons from every side. The riff are as filthy as it can get and the solos are equally monstrous – this is the napalm to the cannon drum attacks. Once the track ‘Hostile Area’ comes into the play, you will understand the band has also mastered the art of playing black metal, and the stretching guitar riffs and the cold, raw vocals proves that. As a side note, probably one of the best solos of the album is played in this track. This raw track moves to the next track, ‘Bitter Cold’, with sirens filling all around. ‘Bitter Cold’ is again a bestial, destructive track and the drums are like an arsenal throwing fireballs everywhere. The album follows up with ‘Blessing Of War’ and it truly blesses you with one of the most bestial death/black metal attacks. The growls and constant deadly riffing are surely going to take you to another dimension.
The next track, ‘Death Campaign’, brings you to a war-torn death campaign, literary. The drum solos are a special taste of this track. The album follows with ‘Execution’ and then the album actually comes to an end with the song ‘Warfare’, where it ends with the troopers marching out from the choirs of a damaged battlefield. Also, the acoustic intro adds an extra dimension. The album is just monstrous with nothing but a little bit of over half an hour worship of black/ death metal on a battlefield. This album is definitely worth a listen for anyone into Bolt Thrower, Hail Of Bullets, etc.
A special mention about Diabolical Conquest Records (which now changed its name to Transcending Obscurity) has to be made for discovering criminally-underrated bands like these. The production could not be any better, and same goes for the drumming and every bit of musicianship. The constant hate-triggered riffs will surely take every head to bang. The album art also depicts a battle-torn land, lying amidst destruction and barren soil. A must listen album to any black/death metal fans out there.
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