Released by Avantgarde Music on February 12th, 2021
Quick Background
Ad Nauseam is an experimental death metal band from Northern Italy. They make music that is unorthodox, odd and obscure. In March 2015 they released the debut album Nihil Quam Vacuitas Ordinatum Est. All Ad Nauseam records are self-produced, and each band member contributes researching, designing and building most of the equipment used for the recordings (drums parts, cabinets, bass/guitar/studio related electronics) and collecting mainly vintage, odd and uncommon gears.
Imperative Imperceptible Impulse
Imperative Imperceptible Impulse is Ad Nauseam sophomore album featuring 6 tracks in just under one hour. Experimental extreme metal is not a sub-genre that I review often or even listen frequently. But first impressions from Ad Nauseam were good and honestly nothing else this week popped up for me to review. Imperative Imperceptible Impulse is no easy album title and same goes to listening to it. It requires attention. Ad Nauseam's music features very layered and complex patterns dominated by polyphony and polyrhythms. It merges extreme death/black metal, avantgarde, jazz, classical, post-core, doom/sludge and ambient. Dissonant and unusual sounds are a constant. Musically that's the only parallel I can make: Experimental Pink Floyd (late 60's) meets Meshuggah. It's no Wish You Here at all that I am talking about, but it's more in the line of Ummagumma.
All songs are around the 9 minute mark with only "Coincidentia Oppositorum" going up to 12 minutes. But the band does not rely on solos to extend their songs. It's mostly based on going to different places during a song while taking the time for us to appreciate a new musical passage or transition. That includes some quieter and slower moments. I appreciate that as those moments give some relief and it's not chaotic all the time. For example "Horror Vacui" has some slow and quieter moments, a sludge super slow heavy section and the more characteristic aggressive moments. Behind all of this you can actually hear the sound of vintage instruments forming the base of songs. It's all pretty cool and meticulously thought out.
The production is raw and refreshing as it moves away from the pristine over produced trend of these days. In a way the production values also remind me of very early Pink Floyd.
The Picky Guy
As I mentioned this is not my go-to-metal, so it takes time to get used to it. All the noises, sounding chaotic at times, make it difficult. But while not my favorite, I do appreciate it after some time. Personally I'd like more groove and melody here and there, but that's not the goals of those guys. On top of it it's not a short album.
Wrap Up Opinion
Ad Nauseam will certainly pop up in many year-end lists, not only due to the quality of the album, but for standing out as a very innovative experimental and unconventional band. Is it for everyone? Certainly not, it's not even for a big segment of the metal community, but it will captivate the metal listeners with an open mind and looking for something challenging and distinctive. I'm giving it a 82/100 a very good album with the potential to grow further on me as it is that kind of album that takes time.
Genre: Death Metal
Released by Avantgarde Music on February 12th, 2021
Rating System
99 - 100 Perfect
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad
wordcount = 535
94 - 98 Excellent
87 - 93 Great
82 - 86 Very Good
77 - 81 Good
66 - 76 Mixed
58 - 65 Bad
wordcount = 535
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