ACT OF IMPALEMENT hailing from Nashville, Tennessee were formed in 2012. They play a mixture of Death, Black, and Doom Metal and released so far two demos, two EPs, and one full-length album. Their sophomore album "Infernal Ordinance" was recorded and mixed by Shibby Poole (YAUTJA), and mastered by Will Killingsworth (HOLY DEATH; ONE MASTER) at Dead Air Studios. It has a length of 29 minutes, and it was released via Florida Black, Death, and Doom Metal specialists Caligary Records.

The album starts with the blackened "Summoning The Final Conflagration", a mid-tempo track with a stomping rhythm. The guitar riffing is powerful with grim melodies and the growling vocals are at around the low end of the guttural range with a few higher pitched notes. The vocals fit perfectly to the dark sound. "Summoning The Final Conflagration" is a very good opener and sets the scene for the things to come on the album. It was uploaded on YouTube by the label. "Bogbody" starts with crushing bass lines, which drive the song forward. It is a fast song with direct and simple riffing and the overly prominent bass as the focal point. "Bogbody" is short and dirty, and comes with a few Punk vibes including the simple but effective lead guitar solo. In terms of the sound, the track is a bit of a counterpoint to most songs on the album, as for example the doom-laden "In Wolflight". "In Wolflight" is played at a slow pace with a sluggish rhythm and again the bass lines are very dominant moving the track forward. Highlight is the short but contributing lead guitar solo.

 "Specters Of Unlight" opens with thunderous riffing and bass lines. It is a more towards mid-tempo song with a monotone rhythm, a real head-banger. There are a few twists in rhythm with a faster pace during the middle part of the track that includes a few blast-beats. The sound towards the end of the track is spine-chilling. For me, "Specters Of Unlight" is one of the best songs on the album. "Creeping Barrage" starts fast but transitions quickly into slow pace. The vocals include a lot of higher pitched screams and there is a constant back and forth between the slow and stomping rhythm and the fast-paced parts. With just over 90 seconds, it is one of the shortest tracks on the album. "Atomic Hecatomb" starts with an extended instrumental part before the vocals join in. It is a classical mid-tempo song and perhaps the track with the catchiest riffing on the entire album. Very prominent are again the crunching bass lines. Highlight is the cool lead guitar solo. "Atomic Hecatomb" is another one of my album favorites.

"Blasphemous Rebirth" starts with the same mid-tempo rhythm where "Atomic Hecatomb" has left off. The riffing has a bit more complexity compared to many songs on the album. It does not take long until the shift in rhythm back to the sluggish approach that is part of the signature sound of the album. "Death Hex" is another head-banger with a catchier riffing and overall sound. Focal point of the track are again the bass lines that drive the track forward. The overall sound of the track is blood-freezing, especially during the down-tempo part with an excellent lead guitar solo. "Death Hex" is one of the doomiest songs on the album and has all the potential to become a fan favorite. The album closes with "Erased" and it is doom-laden track at a sluggish rhythm. Highlights are the lead guitar contributions throughout the track and the growls and screams of Dark Druid. "Erased" is a perfect mixture between Death and Doom Metal and a blood-freezer for all the listeners. A great way to end the album.

ACT OF IMPALEMENT deliver a crushing album with a blood-freezing sound. "Infernal Ordinance" is a good mixture of Doom and Death Metal with blackened elements. The signature sound of the album is driven by the steamrolling rhythm, the grim riffing, the crunching bass lines, and vocals sounding like coming straight from the abyss. Most songs are simple and direct without any complexity and playfulness. While this is a strength of this album, it might be addressed in the songwriting of future albums. The album is well produced. "Infernal Ordinance" will establish the very own sound of ACT OF IMPALEMENT further and will set the bar for any future releases of this young and promising band.