Imperium - Too Short A Season (1993)

Compelling techno-thrash from Holland - Imperium never quite made the boat, probably too clever for their own good whilst the rest of the world were bathing in the grease of retarded grunge metal. Imperium are at times bewildering and yet bridging the gap between chugging thrash and progressive metal to form what can only be described as jarring dynamics. Sure, there's something rather remote about proceedings, even the vocal attack of Andre Vuurboom refuses to rest, couple this with Remco Nijkamp's jolting bass and you can somewhat imagination this chaotic soundscape. Whether it's the complex chug of 'Chemical Season' or the elusive strains of 'Silenced,' Imperium still remain accessible in their mysticism - fusing together a cold steel style of metal, classic at times, but always stretching the boundaries - even bringing to mind the thrashy grooves of Mordred and Toxik, but thankfully not quite visiting the alien shores of the deathlier Atheist et al. Even so, it's still a cosmic experience that'll twist the spinal chord.
8/10