As soon as Impure Wilhelmina got the idea for a covers album, they knew that "Fallen Angel" was a lock to make the track list.
"King Crimson is a band that all of us listen to regularly", the band says, "and 'Fallen Angel' was a song that we quickly and unanimously agreed upon".
Listen to Impure Wilhelmina's faithfully mind-bending cover of "Fallen Angel" below.
"Fallen Angel" is the second single from the band's upcoming EP. The first was a cinematic cover of Serge Gainsbourg's "La Javanaise", which you can watch HERE.
'Dead Decades' comes out on October 6, 2023. The EP also includes a cover of The Cure, along with two unreleased songs from their latest album 'Antidote'.
Pre-order it HERE.
It makes sense that Impure Wilhelmina are fans of King Crimson. After all, the Geneva quartet have followed the British prog legends by constantly breaking the mold. For 25 years now, they've rolled hardcore riffs, velveteen cleans, atmospheric sludge and gloomy melodies into post-metal that's as sharp and versatile as a Swiss Army Knife. No wonder they've earned comparisons to KEN Mode, Paradise Lost and The Smiths.
"We didn't really know what it would sound like to cover such a prog monument", the band said about "Fallen Angel". "But we were surprised - and also, very proud - to see how well it suited out harmonic style."
For 25 years, Impure Wilhelmina has been shaping a singular music on the borders of rock and metal. The Geneva quartet has never been afraid to reinvent itself and to push back the stylistic barriers, without ever losing its strong identity. Intensity, melody, power and melancholy are the key words that guide the band's discography, developing record after record a subtle blend of metal, post-hardcore, new wave and indie rock sounds.
Impure Wilhelmina has experienced many line-up changes over the years around Michael Schindl, singer-guitarist, main composer and lyricist. Founded in 1996, the group quickly built a reputation in the local, then Swiss and European independent scenes. The band has released a 7″, an EP, a split and seven full-length albums (see discography).
Impure Wilhelmina has regularly collaborated with sound engineers and producers Serge Morattel (I Can't Believe I Was Born In July – 2001, L'Amour, La Mort, L'Enfance Perdue – 2004, Prayers And Arsons – 2008) and Raphaël Bovey (Black Honey – 2014, Radiation – 2017). These five albums illustrate the constant musical evolution of the band, which from a very dark and metal base gradually incorporates more rock elements. The clear vocals occupy an increasingly important place in the compositions, reinforcing the intensity and melodic depth.
In 2015, thanks to the great response to Black Honey, Impure Wilhelmina signed with the reference metal label Season of Mist, which published Radiation two years later in 2017. Skillfully navigating between melodies and dissonances, always at the service of raw emotion, this sixth album was unanimously acclaimed by the press and the public, opening the doors to wider recognition.
In 2019, the band received great reward by being one of the four recipients of the grants for contemporary music awarded by the City of Geneva. This support has enabled Impure Wilhelmina to start working on a new album with confidence and with the will to develop their sound and get out of their comfort zone. The band put a lot of efforts in the elaboration and production of its new songs, notably by calling on Yvan Bing, producer and sound engineer, to accompany the four musicians throughout the creation process. This successful collaboration began in the summer of 2019 and continued for over a year, giving rise to Impure Wilhelmina's seventh album, Antidote. Released in may 2021, this album is a testament to the creativity and versatility of the band, which never ceases to explore new horizons without ever getting lost.
After two European tours in 2022 (with Crippled Black Phoenix and MØL, then Shores of Null), Impure Wilhelmina focused in 2023 on the vinyl reissue of their second album "I can't believe I was born in July", for its 20th anniversary, and the release of a new EP entitled “Dead Decades”, which features three covers and two previously unreleased tracks.
Line-up
Michael Schindl: Vocals/Guitars
Diogo Almeida: Guitars
Sébastien Dutruel: Bass
Mario Togni: Drums
Links
www.impurenet.com
www.facebook.com/impurewilhelmina
www.instagram.com/impurewilhelmina
www.impurewilhelmina.bandcamp.com
Recording Studio:
‘La Javanaise’, ‘Fallen Angel’ and ‘Plainsong’: Kitchen Studio, Geneva (CH)
‘Nebulæ’ and ‘Ignoramus’: HOFA Studio, Karlsdorf (DE)
Mix: Kitchen Studio / Yvan Bing
Master: Caduceus Studios / Ladislav Agabekov
Cover artwork: Mehdi Benkler (photography) / Giganto.ch
Pre-order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/IWDD
Booking:
Switzerland: Martina Kull / Glad We Met: martina@gladwemet.ch
Europe/World: booking@impurenet.com
Formats:
Vinyl
Digital
