Imprecation

May 14

Written By Luke

HELIOS PRESS FUNDRAISER | THE LOST WELL | AUSTIN,TX | 05.04.2024

Guttural Curses

Imprecation. Brutal straight-forward Death Metal perfected over years of dedication. An allegiance to dark arts conjured through sheer will. Oppressive. Claustrophobic. Dense, but not impenetrable. The kind of metal you want to hear in a dark stinky old bar. Luckily, that’s where I was. Stagnant hot air has a way of amplifying distortion and blast beats. Like wine and cheese or tacos and Baja Blast™. Some things just go together. Accept it.

The first time I saw Imprecation was at Metal Threat. I didn’t see them as much as I listened to them from the parking lot, hearing whatever bolted through the door left open to the fenced off smoking section. I got as close as I could. Pressing up against the black gate of the patio. Through the smoke and mix of flavored vapes I could tell they had something worth exploring. I was hooked.

Crowd shots by Luke James @lukejeffjames

Photos by Sam James @samjames.jpeg

Imprecation thrive in restraint. Wearing you down with a relentless output of riffs. Continuously one upping themselves as the set progresses. Unceasing. Grinding. A steady momentum. Chugging. Destroying. Indecipherable mantras cursing the crowd. Mystic names chanted over skull splitting rhythms. Chaos grips the audience. Someone stage dives. Straight to the floor. Thankfully, the stage is low.

I love when a Death Metal band can just play Death Metal. Give me some knuckle dragging music to help me disconnect from reality. Throw in some seriously deranged lyrics and I’m a fan for life. I’m not here to think. I’m here to feel. Imprecation leave no room for interpretation. By the time they finish, you feel everything you need to know about who they are. Heavy. Dark. Evil.