CONTRAPASSO

4.5 stars. SEVEN IMPALE are back! Yes this young Norwegian band created quite the buzz with their debut in 2014 finishing 3rd in the "Album of the Year" votes here. It was an album that almost perfected the marriage between Jazz and Rock. I liked it but wasn't as enamored as most were. It was actually the complaints about this new album that moved me to pick it up. Claims that they'd turned too experimental and that it was nothing like their debut moved me to check it out and I'm so glad I did. The vocals are more prominent and the horns continue to blast yet I like this better? Go figure.

"Lemma" is my favourite. I just can't get over how good the intro is, so powerful and heavy but it's the vocal expressions and vocals that kill here. The rhythm section drives hard and it's dark while the vocals are deep and theatrical. So good! Check out the dissonant horns when they arrive playing over top. Some organ runs too and then that rhythm stops after 3 12 minutes as powerful vocals take over in a dramatic soundscape. There's almost an IN THE WOODS... vibe here. Some mock laughter and words that make me laugh before 5 minutes then the music kicks back in with power. Another change after 6 minutes to a more Symphonic vibe with plenty of keys and drums to the end.

"Heresy" opens with drums and horns that beat and blast as expressive vocals join in. The vocals bring MOTORPSYCHO to mind, not just here either. We get a calm with bass and atmosphere before it re-builds as the organ joins in. It's full before 2 minutes then it calms down again before 3 minutes to an Electronic mode. Horns come in blasting at 4 minutes then vocals. An eerie calm after 6 minutes takes over and it's quite haunting to the end. "Inertia" opens with piano as a beat and atmosphere take over quickly then blasting horns and passionate vocals. It settles back some as the vocals and horns step aside but check out the drum work here along with the grinding guitar expressions. Nice. Horns and vocals are back after 3 1/2 minutes then the drums take over after 5 minutes but the organ is on boil here and soon the horns are coming and going, synths too. I love the sound they've created here. A change before 7 1/2 minutes as piano and atmosphere trade off with blasting horns until it's all atmosphere to the end.

"Langour" features drums galore to start, lots of beats and depth. It picks up speed and vocal melodies join in until we get a calm after 1 1/2 minutes. A beat and piano melodies are followed by horns and vocals. Another calm after 3 minutes as reserved vocals almost speaking arrive then horns and vibes as it builds. A fuller sound with synths and lots of depth follows then the vocals return. They stop as the horns return blasting away then they return before 6 1/2 minutes as the drums and horns dominate. "Ascension" is just over 1 1/2 minutes and it features lots of atmosphere, like we're out in space, some piano and bass too. "Convulsion" has outbursts of heaviness that will come and go, lots of horns. The vocalist pretty much shouts out the lyrics after a minute. Back to the all instrumental work and its bombastic. The vocals are back before 3 minutes then we get a change after 3 1/2 minutes as we get drums and bass standing out with some horns also crying out.

"Helix" is dark with a beat and I really like the keyboards. Then almost mono-toned vocals join in. I love the mood here. It starts to get a repetitive beat then a powerful section kicks in before 5 minutes then some extreme vocals as the organ and a very powerful soundscape helps out. It turns spacey with a beat and more then a calm with piano takes over pretty much to the end. "Serpenstone" is bombastic to startout before vocals and a calm arrive before a minute. Drums, organ and more join in as it starts to build. Outbursts of sound kick in before 3 1/2 minutes followed by electric piano, sax and a beat with reserved vocals. "Phoenix" opens with atmosphere as pulsating sounds take over. Samples of various conversations start to come and go until they stop around 3 minutes in. The pulses and spacey sounds continue. It's windy followed by outbursts of guitar around 4 minutes. It turns heavy with horns but then settles again with beats and more. Its building until we get a change before 7 minutes as we get this beat with spacey sounds. Horns after 8 minutes and this is getting intense until a spacey calm arrives before 9 minutes with pulses.

This will be on my end of the year list. They've amped it up quite a bit plus they've come up with some really interesting ideas. This is a band to watch for because I have a feeling they get bored easily and there's too much talent here not for us to benefit from that.