Album Review: Imperial Execration - Commanding Satan’s Crusades
Reviewed by Daniel Phipps
With a collection of musicians having spent two decades within the brutal death metal community Imperial Execration are a true definition of the brutal death metal sound. The three piece who formed a few years back have taken until the end of this calendar year to showcase their debut release Commanding Satan's Crusaders.
Coming straight out of your speakers at 100mph Commanding Satan's Crusaders refuses to gently get you accustomed to it as it opens with a savage onslaught from the first second. Imperial Execration who are made up of three Colombian musicians who are now located in the United Kingdom provide a display of death metal in the vein of Disgorge & Gorgasm, its relentless approach of precision and brutality really hits you as each track rips through. The guitar playing from Eduardo Camargo provides you with huge hench sounding riffs with some really nice technical flare throughout, at times dropping some straight up savage slam riffs where necessary.
The guitar tone on the record is also extremely demonic which is a really nice touch. The drums are as you may imagine filled with extreme use of double kick and blastbeats, in which you will hear zero complaints from me on this. Through each track the drums fly through and add that extra punishing layer. Mr Oscarnivore Macias delivers a stunning performance of guttural filth to give the tracks that finishing touch.
One thing I was not big on within the release was the choice of cover at the end. The band chose the Dehumanized track ‘Condemned’ now it’s performed well but when you have six tracks of savage death metal to end with a cover of a more groove based band just throws off the release. Its placement right at the end also didn’t work for me as its predecessor on the release ‘Victory of the Stygian Empire’ has a very obvious closing of a release feeling to it. It’s a cool cover but really not necessary for Commanding Satan’s Crusade as the six tracks alone carry the release themselves.
Overall Commanding Satan’s Crusade is a slick slab of brutal death metal which echoes the classic 94-03 period of the genre. It’s full of a primitive vibe which won’t be to everyone’s taste but if you're big into the Disgorge sound then this is for you.
