Style: post (mixed vocals)
Review by: Dylan
Country: Switzerland
Release date: 21 May, 2021
Post metal is always a challenge to write about. As a genre it has given us an abundant amount of great albums, but I continuously struggle to define what makes it stand out from the rest. They tend to be albums best enjoyed by just hitting play and letting yourself be immersed into an hour of vibrant atmospheres, interesting melodies and a musical landscape that remains unique to the genre. Impure Wilhelmina‘s album Antidote is essentially that, with the main takeaway being not how they innovate over the pre-built style but rather how exquisitely they embrace it for every breathing moment. This does not mean that the album lacks surprises either, with a sense of self that can only be compared to established decade old bands that allows Antidote to be confident when stepping into the “meat” of the album.
The general mood of the album is defined from the very first notes of “Solitude”: heavy, somber, and with a melancholic vibe comparable to the more gothic variants of metal. With the heaviness carried by the tight minor-key riffing, it is up to our vocalist to make the album stand out from thousands of other “instrumentally promising” post albums. He goes for a tone that is neither lazy nor overblown, finding that perfect middle-ground where you can feel the emotions conveyed by the lyrics without being overwhelmed by it to the point that you fail to listen to the instrumentals. It has this reflective feel to it, as if our frontman is found often reflecting about the various events of his life and his mind, with just enough grit that it becomes emotional without being cheesy (oddly enough, the closest comparison I heard to it was none other than Morrisey from The Smiths). To add to this, there’s the occasional curve ball that manages to keep things fresh late into its runtime: Like a black metal façade thrown into the mix, with tremolos/blast beats playing alongside the seemingly beautiful vocal melodies, or moments where the instrumentals will be kept to a minimum and the vocals will build up momentum before it all blows up in your face.
Writing any further about Antidote would prove to be a challenge (that is without doing a track per track breakdown) but this is not to its detriment but rather to its consistency in thoroughly enjoyable songwriting. Do I think it is a masterpiece? No, not really. I like what it goes for and it does it with A+ results, but it is definitely a “been there done that” of an album. It is missing that extra bit of flair, uniqueness, or absolute standout moments that leave me breathless to be a 9 or a 10/10. But even without those, Impure Wilhelmina proved to be engaging, enjoyable and exciting during my time with it.
Recommended tracks: Midlife Hollow, Dismantling, Jasmines, Unpredicted Sky
Recommended for fans of: Katatonia, Russian Circles, The Smiths
Final verdict: 8/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | Facebook | Instagram
Label: Season of Mist – Bandcamp | Website | Facebook
Impure Wilhelmina is:
– Michael Schindl (vocals/guitars)
– Diogo Almeida (guitars)
– Sébastien Dutruel (bass)
– Mario Togni (drums)
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