With an impressive 25-year career, Switzerland’s Impure Wilhelmina drop album number seven. Line-up changes have not deterred them as they continue to straddle the rock/metal divide. Michael Schind has remained the group’s creative force throughout.
Opening with a muscular, swirling riff “Solitude” has quite a dramatic sound. Very pure, clean vocals weave in and out and give a feeling of a yearning innocence. “Midlife Hollow” is a raw hooky track with shades of indie rock before the moodier “Gravel”. The sound on many numbers is very alt rock but with a contemporary slant and a melancholy feel looming large.
More heavy moments pop up on tracks like “Vicious” and its creeping “Load” era Metallica style. “Unpredicted Sky” is probably the most metal song. Churning riffs that sound like Hang The Bastard and vocals that mix screaming with a very pure delivery. Almost eight minutes running time make it one of the longer tracks on the album. A gentle instrumental interlude in between this and closing number “Everything Is Vain” sees the back-end songs having a heftier feel and a bit more weight.
“Antidote” is a pretty solid album and has a rich production. Leaning more into alt rock territory it may not suit those with a heavier taste but it is nonetheless a well-crafted outing from a band with plenty of years experience behind them.
(7/10 Johnny Zed)
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