UMUR "No State Of Grace" is the 2nd full-length studio album by Polish extreme metal act Iperyt. The album was released through Iperyt Productions in February 2011. It´s the successor to "Totalitarian Love Pulse" from 2006, so there are quite a few years between the two albums. Despite the relatively many years between the debut and sophomore album release the lineup who recorded the debut album remains the same on "No State Of Grace".

Stylistically the material on "No State Of Grace" continue the ultra aggressive industrial tinged black/death metal style of "Totalitarian Love Pulse (2006)". The vocals are raw, angry, and snarling, the programmed drums provide the music with an electronic power and energetic speed boost, that a human drummer wouldn´t have been able to (and add a bleak industrial element to the music), and the guitars and bass play sharp and brutal riffs. "No State Of Grace" is a relentlessly brutal and aggressive release from the opening notes of the title track to the closing notes of "In Morbid Rapture". At no point during the playing time do the band let up, and it is the type of album that will leave you breathless and exhausted. Left bleeding in the gutter...

A little more variation between tracks could have made the album a bit more interesting in the long run, but as it is, it´s still a good quality release, featuring a powerful sound production, strong instrumental/vocal performances, and for the most part well written compositions. Some listeners may wrinkle their nose at programmed drums, but to my ears they work perfectly here, because they are purposedly chosen to be programmed, and not just because the band weren´t able to hire a human drummer. The programmed drums play a major part in defining Iperyt´s sound. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Totalitarian Love Pulse" is the debut full-length studio album by Polish black/industrial metal act Iperyt. The album was released through Agonia Records in November 2006. Iperyt were formed in 2005, and released the "Particular Hatred" EP in August of that year. All members of the band are or have been involved in other acts like Voidhanger, Morowe, Herzer...etc.

The music on "Totalitarian Love Pulse" more or less continues down the same hate filled industrial extreme metal path which was initiated on "Particular Hatred (2005)". Iperyt is often labelled black metal, but their music also features elements from both death metal and grindcore, and reeks dark industrial atmosphere and coldness too. There´s no human drummer on the album, and all drums are therefore programmed and the addition of samples and effects/keyboards further enhance the futuristic industrial nature of the band´s music. The raw and snarling vocals are delivered with caustic aggression and great conviction.

Even for extreme metal this is a very extreme album, which takes absolutely no prisoners. From start to finish the band will assault your ears relentlessly, and even though most of the album is played in a very high, almost manic pace, there are occasionally heavier section included on the album but they are usually only short breathers (and most listeners probably won´t even think of those sections as breathers), before a new blasting attack sets in. This is the kind of album that´ll make your heart gallop in your chest. It´s simply a very stressful listening experience (in a good way) delivered with fierce aggression and great energy.

Tracks like "Abuse You", "Adoration of Social Demise", and "Scorched Earth Creed", are quite brilliant, and even though not all tracks stand out equally, the material on "Totalitarian Love Pulse" are overall of a very high quality. The bleak and haunting atmosphere and the high level musicianship are other great assets to the album. "Totalitarian Love Pulse" is also a very well produced album. The programmed drums are placed perfect in the mix, and they generally sound really great.

Overall "Totalitarian Love Pulse" is a high quality release by Iperyt and it´s proof that the promise which was heard on "Particular Hatred (2005", wasn´t just an empty promise. They´ve successfully followed up on the quality material from the EP, and I think "Totalitarian Love Pulse" is highly recommendable to fans of industrial tinged and highly aggressive extreme metal. A 4 star (80%) rating is fully deserved.

Vehemency Industrial black metal can be done magnificently, just think of some The Axis of Perdition and Blut Aus Nord releases, but most often it seems to fall into ultimate mediocrity. Iperyt’s second full-length No State of Grace is an inconveniently clear case of the latter category, presenting eleven tracks of ultra fast and rather bland industrial black / death metal.

The main glitch here is how the band tries to be extreme and shocking. This comes evident already via reading the songtitles like ”Scars Are Sexy” and, delving into the music, the aspect of pretentiousness comes apparent in e.g. the exaggerated drum machine speeds. Combine the 3000 bpm audio software beats to slower and remote riffs and ”let’s fuck the life from behind” (straight quote) lyrics, and I’m quite embarassed overall.

I hate to go all the way ranting an album like this, but the truth is that there’s little content on No State of Grace that would deserve the attention of even industrial metal fans. The first track, self-titled one, culminates to some nice, almost epic melodies, but that’s pretty much all I can get out of No State of Grace. Unless the bands starts to focus more on the actual content instead of the mere extreme and ’oh so violent’ attitude it has, I hold no further interest in the band. Technically, there’s no limitations for potential as the band does keep the songs together well enough, but there’s just got to be something more than that’s just trying to horrify the listener - and then even fail at it!

UMUR Particular Hatred is the debut release by Polish industrial extreme metal act Iperyt. It´s a 16:38 minute long EP. The EP was released in August 2005 by Agonia Records.

The music on the album is industrial extreme metal. There are elements from both death metal and black metal in the music but ultimately the music can be labelled as neither. The music is very extreme yet cleverly composed and I´m kept on my toes throughout the playing time of this EP. These songs pack so much punch that I simply loose my breath while listening to it. The vocals in particular are caustic and aggressive raw attacks. Seldom have I heard a more hate-filled and powerful vocal delivery. The music sound chaotic yet it is tighty structured, dark and fast-paced. The drums are programmed and meant to be programmed, which means that they suit the music perfectly. The samples that are used in the music really enhance the already dark and unpleasant atmosphere of the music. Other extreme metal acts that incorporate programmed drums like The Axis of Perdition, Void, The Bezerker and especially Control Human Delete come to mind while listening to the EP, but Iperyt have found their own niche already.

The production is powerful and a bit clinical which suits the music well. The drums are just a bit too low in the mix, but that´s a minor complaint.

Particular Hatred has blown me away. It´s one of those releases that impressed me right away and keep doing it every time I listen to it. There´s something vicious and fierce about the way Iperyt sound that is very rare in metal. Sure there are thousands of brutal and aggressive acts out there, but Iperyt understand the difference between being brutal and aggressive for the sake of it and being brutal and aggressive and really sound like you mean it. Needless to say that Iperyt belong to the latter catagory. This is an excellent release and a 4 star rating is fully deserved.