The Purity of the Impure (Impurity - New Model Army)

Member Name: steerpyke

Product:	Impurity - New Model Army
Date:	04/10/04 (89 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: dark majestic rock

Disadvantages: none

The cover of 1989s Impurity says a lot about the nature of the band, i know that you shouldnt judge a book by a cover, so to speak, but in this case there are many clues to be found. The art work is a purple design of a snake with basic writting to convey the band and the album name. Its not the art work that gives te hint here, but the fact that it is a fairly low budget affair drawn by the usual artist, Joolz, who just happens to be the singers partner. What does that tell you..that they are tight with their money, right? Wroong it tells you that the band waste little effort on the packaging of the product and where possible operate in the same way they did when they were a bunch of unknown post-punks emerging from Bradfords back streets all those years ago. The punk spirit of gang mentality and loyalty to those who have been there for them over the years remains and inspires the same loyalty back from the fans.

Inside amongst the hand written cover blurb, is a picture of the band backlight against an angry sky on a windswept location, probably somewhere in Yorkshire. This is a metaphore for the music, it is many things, raw, cold and poiniant and yet beautiful, passionate and minimal. All things to all men....maybe.

The album opens in explosive fashion with Get Me Out, maniacal laughter and a thumping drum beat pull you into the world of Impurity. Heavy on the bass with some intricate higher fret work from Nelson ,drive the song, the guitars, as is often the case with NMA, taking the lesser role in the precedings. An anthem to the banality of the rat race, if you only heard on song by the band, this would be a good summing up of their work, yet they do have so much more to offer. The first obvious clue that you are on to something new and different is that where the guitar solo would be, this band instead use a excert from a police patrol car radio transmission.

Space has the same heavy drum and bass drive, yet is a more laid back affair, Justins voice sounding as rich as it ever can and again with a suprise middle 8 bar, the distant voice of a women reciting a poem is just made out in the background.

Innocence is a pounding affair, with some amazing time changes and the beat of the song stoping and re-starting with precise timing. A song whose arrangement seems only to be the product of the studio, yet the band did tour with such a complex song, a testament to their abilities.

Enter another new element to the album, the violin. This album like Thunder and Consolation before marked the bands involvement with Ed Alleyne Johnson, a classical/rock violinist with a love of 5-string purple violins and leather attire. Purity is a sweeping and passionate piece and shows the band in their more introvert side, acoustic guitars carrying the song through as the violins soar to majestic heights to carry you of on a journey of the mind and soul.

Whirlwind and Lust For Power are both rooted in NMA`s dark hypnotic rock, but Bury the Hatchet is completely different territory. As the dying chords of the previous song ring out a mid paced guitar, is joined by drums and percussion to deliver a personal ballad of being a young man in the musically tribal world of the inner city, fighting all comers and deffending your patch and identity. Its all long gone and the realisation comes that eventually you Bury the Hatchet and laugh about it.

Eleven Years is another song from the heart, releationships and living on the road, searching for something and never being at rest. Over the top of the pounding dance style beat is a spanish guitar, weaving through the drums and lyrics. Lyrically full of angst "shouting out inside Im proud of you, Im proud of you", the passion of the piece will go straight to the heart.

The dark growlings and brooding guitars of Lurhstaap are in stark contrast and snarl and snap their way to the end of the song. Distorted lead wraps itself around the tune barbed and savage and Justins sneer can be heard through his singing.

The last too songs merge into one, The minimal drone of the keyboards of Before I Get Old is accompanied by an acoustic guitar spitting out its echoing stark notes as the words drift in reminiscence and regret until they drift out to the build up of Vanity, the counterpoint of the prevoius song. Guitars wail, drums kick and the bass takes the forefront again as the final piece of self analysis takes the stage, its all vanity and chaos in the end.

Although based firmly in a dark rock sound, the band are clever to avoid the cliches, solos are avoided in favour of more interesting concepts, bass lines often take centre stage, and always there is a passionate delivery of ideas by the singer. Sometimes spitting the anger and bile against society, but often looking inwards and being able to wear his heart on the sleeve. There is a beauty in the music, the same beauty you find in a ruined building or a tumbling sky, its not cliche or pretty, its majestic and breath taking.

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