Ever since I first heard There Will Be Violence, I have absolutely loved Impending Doom. I’ve never really thought much of their first two albums, but they have really crafted a new sound and intensity with their two latest albums. At first, I didn’t really like Baptized in Filth all that much. While I still don’t enjoy it as much as There Will Be Violence, I enjoy it quite a bit after several listens.
Baptized in Filth opens up with Murderer, an absolutely monstrous track and one of the best on the album. It’s probably one of the grooviest Impending Doom songs that has ever been written and is definitely one of their best. I had held off on watching the music video that they had released for this track prior to the album’s release, so that just made it even better for me. Vocalist Brook Reeves has changed his style a little bit since There Will Be Violence and his tone is a bit deeper, but his vocal delivery remains just as powerful. “I am a murderer! Wash me clean!” is one of my favorite lines on Baptized in Filth because Reeves manages to put a great deal of power behind it.
Next up is For the Wicked, the first single from the album. I initially didn’t think much of this track and I still think it is one of the weaker tracks on Baptized in Filth, but it has grown on me a bit. It does not feel out of place on this album, but there are definitely better songs to be found as the listener ventures further into Baptized in Filth.
Impending Doom quickly gets back on the right track Chaos: Reborn. This song is another one of Baptized in Filth’s stronger points, although the best track is still yet to come. Chaos: Reborn starts out with some dissonant guitar riffs and then gets into some groovier riffs. The breakdown in the middle is pretty enjoyable, although nothing absolutely spectacular. Chaos: Reborn ends in a manner similar to which it started.
Deceiver is, overall, a slower song and probably another one of the weaker tracks on Baptized in Filth, although it is still solid. The most memorable aspect of this song is probably the repeated line that is used to close out the track. What starts out as Reeves essentially whispering “dead bodies stacked ten feet tall” gradually builds up to a much more ferocious vocal display.
Falling Away is probably the best song on this album. It’s heavy, energetic, and has one of the most memorable lines on the album. At the beginning and towards the end, you can hear Reeves foretelling the demise of mankind and the end of the world (“falling away, I pray for judgement day. Tremble in fear, the end is near!”). To me, it always sounds like Danny Leal of Upon a Burning Body assists Reeves with this vocal onslaught towards the end of the track, but I can’t find anything that confirms this.
Absolute Horror, somewhat of an interlude track, is up next. While nowhere near as good as the interlude track from There Will Be Violence, Love Has Risen, Absolute Horror is a solid interlude and carries on the apocalyptic motif that had been established in Falling Away. The sound effect that kicks the track off, however, is a little odd.
Angry Letters to God, another one of the stronger songs on the album, is the next track to make its appearance. While this song is enjoyable overall, the whole “live it up, live it up” bit that is basically whispered near the middle of the song is, to put it bluntly, dumb and reminded me of Suicide Silence’s absolutely atrocious You Only Live Once. Impending Doom, however, quickly regains their momentum and gets the song back on track with a monstrous breakdown.
Angry Letters to God is followed by the title track, Baptized in Filth. Despite being one of the shortest tracks on the album (second only to Absolute Horror), it is still pretty solid. It ends with another repetition of single line like several other tracks on Baptized in Filth.
My Light Unseen, possibly the most controversial Impending Doom track of all time, now steps into the spotlight. This song is comprised of mostly clean vocals that are reminiscent of various alternative rock bands and some background screams towards the end. While I am not hoping for an abundance of clean vocals on future Impending Doom albums, I think Reeves has a decent singing voice and pulls My Light Unseen off nicely. Ryan Clark of Demon Hunter offers his vocal support near the end of the track. This, unfortunately, is the only guest vocal spot on Baptized in Filth.
Death. Ascension. Resurrection. closes out the album with a bang. Perhaps the title was another name the band had in mind for their first album, Nailed. Dead. Risen.. Regardless, Death. Ascension. Resurrection. is one of the most energetic and powerful songs on the album and I can’t think of a better way to finish an album. This track is another member of my list of favorite tracks from Baptized in Filth.
Overall, Baptized in Filth is a great album and I’m glad to see Impending Doom releasing a solid follow-up to the stellar There Will Be Violence. While not as good as its predecessor, it is still very well done and I highly recommend it.
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