EP REVIEW: Dead Decades – Impure Wilhelmina

For the past 25 years, Swiss rock band IMPURE WILHELMINA have been pushing the boundaries of rock and metal, a feat that is evident in their most recent EP Dead Decades. The EP itself is made up of three covers and two unreleased songs, and comes as part of their 25-year anniversary celebration.

Opening the EP, the band begin with the three covers. If you weren’t familiar with the tracks based on name and you listened to them here for the first time, you’d be forgiven for thinking that these were original songs done by IMPURE WILHELMINA based on how they make them completely their own. First, there’s La Javanaise, originally by French singer-songwriter SERGE GAINSBOURG, which they turn into a cool sounding rock track while staying loyal to the original by singing in French. You might not understand what’s said but you can feel the emotion of the lyrics sung.

Following this is Fallen Angel, originally by progressive rock band KING CRIMSON, who IMPURE WILHELMINA have a shared love for. In their version they create a calming rock song that captures the theatrical elements KING CRIMSON were known for with their blend of genres. Overall, it has a quality that makes you want to sway along, in fact you can easily imagine an audience getting out their lighters and swaying together as a collective. And finally, we arrive at Plainsong, originally by iconic goth-rock band THE CURE, where they move things into anthemic rock territory, with some comparison to Biffy Clyro. Again, they remain loyal to THE CURE’s original style when they shift into a moody vibe that sounds like a blend of industrial rock and a power-rock ballad that’s just lovely to listen to.

Concluding the EP are the unreleased songs, in which the band explore two completely different genres; in Nebulæ they start off with a cool rock intro that then incorporates rough vocals that adds a fantastic hard rock edge, all the while still feeling calm. And then with Ignoramus, the final track of the EP, the band move into anthemic territory, yet once again things feel so cool and collected.

What IMPURE WILHELMINA have shown is that even when things move in a heavier direction, they can still demonstrate a degree of being cool, calm, and collected. With their 25 years together as a band, they have shown off their skills and confirmed to us why they’re still here.

Rating: 8/10

Dead Decades is out now via Season Of Mist.

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