Impurity, anyone?

[Master Ray]

So... there was a recent thread about T + D with everyone expressing their love for that fine album... deservedly so, it's a bloody classic... but what about the follow-up, Impurity?

For my money, it's my favourite NMA album ever, despite such masterpieces as HIGH, TODAY IS A GOOD DAY and, yes, BD+W coming out since...

I think that much of it comes from the fact that my first NMA gig was the Manchester Academy gig on the Impurity tour... I'd heard TGOC and TAC before (and snippets of other tunes), but it was my first NMA live experience and, lets face it, that's when this band REALLY makes sense...

This album has it all... the big bass-driven anthems (Whirlwind, Space), the Ed AJ-heavy stuff (Purity), the percussive elements of later albums (Innocence, Eleven Years), the acoustic or mellow bits (Before I Get Old, Bury The Hatchet, Marrakesh) and the flat-out mental tunes designed for the moshpit ( Get Me Out, Lust For Power...)

I just think that Impurity is a bit deeper and darker and more elaborate / diverse than it's predecessor...

Plus, my favourite NMA album cover ever...

So, what are your opinions of this masterpiece... IYO..?

 

[jackroadkill]

If I could only have one NMA record, Impurity would probably be it.  Utterly beautiful, whistful, aggressive, dark, - it's got everything. 

Maybe it's not such as bold a statement as T&C, but in terms of songwriting and album sequencing I think it's a masterpiece.  Lush sound without being overbearing, light and shade in abundance, all the space and depth that the songs merit, some of Justin's best lyrics - I could go on.

[Johnz]

Probably the album I play the least. It's definitely not bad but it never really fired for me. After the raw beauty of T&C this one seemed a bit too polished and maybe a bit rushed. I remember being quietly disappointed. It's definitely their most dated sounding album to my ears.

Like all their albums, it does contain some cracking tunes though and know that many fans rate it highly. But the good thing about NMA is that you can always count on them to blow your socks off again sooner or later and LOHC certainly did that for me.

On a side note, I remember a tape of Impurity circulating shortly before its release which contained the album as well as all the B-sides and Far Better Thing and Luhrstaap acoustic. The one thing I remember is that the version of Space had a male voice doing Joolz's spoken part. Otherwise it was identical. I must dig it up and have a listen. Anybody know the story behind that?

[DannySan]

As previously mentioned I too was a little under whelmed when it came out as T&C was such a fantastic album it was always going to be hard to follow. Impurity was a hard one for me to get into but eventually I did and it has grown on me and I can appreciate it for the great album that it is.

I love the way it opens with the almost frantic "Get Me Out" then "Space" a great openning to an album.

I love "Bury The Hatchet" it reminds me so much of my late teens and early 20's and all the stupid petty rivalry that used to go on in the pubs and clubs where I used to drink and that now I'm 20 years older it makes me smile to think what a dickhead I was 

[peternotbaldyet]

Played it to death for about 20 years. Play it still but not as much. T&C was a hard act to follow but by golly did they! Vanity, Lust for Power, Bury the Hatchet (some guy playing spoons on that one!) Classic.

[Barty]

Impurity is very close to my heart too - it was my first tour (did Leicester De Montford and Villa Leisure Centre) and I remember them walking on to the recorded version of Before I Get Old, firing up their equipment and crashing the walls down with Whirlwind.....utter chaos in the pit - magnificent.

I love the album, faves being the rarely mentioned 'Innocence', 'Whirlwind' (for the memories) and Space....but every song's a belter. I agree with Master Ray about the artwork (although I'd say BD&W is a close second). I had the pleasure of seeing many of the original artworks while at Studio Bijoux a couple of weeks ago and Joolz told me she'd no idea what had happened to her original of Impurity sadly. 

Maybe (aside from the songs) it's the memories of those first few gigs 23 years ago this month but for me Impurity will always be a treasure.

[Stoney]

Impurity has a very big pull for me...... Hence the rocker of the tyitle. My first tour, endless memories....... Some life long friends from near n far. That lp has lasted a sight longer than my first marriage dig, I met my best man on that tour, I'm still in contact with him n not the ex! lmao
Space and Marrakesh will be favourites for ever I think. So many great songs, I can't think of an obvious lesser track to be fair. Ghost Of Cain just hedges it as favourite lp, I wore out my vinyl and cassette of that lp. (Reminds me, I need to get another cassette copy of that!)..........

On balance IMPURITY still stands as a 9 out 10 record......... I promised myself that gut rocker 15 years ago, I only wish I'd done it sooner.

[Wessexy Witch]

Bloody love it.

My most favorite NMA album of all time.

 

[dark horse]

Impurity is easily my favourite NMA album.

Oddly enough, Get Me Out is one of my least favourite songs of theirs, but from track 2 onwards the album is fantastic all the way through.

Unlike some people, it's not because it was my first album or tour - didn't really get into the band until 97/98, around the time of Strange Brotherhood.

[Fatalist]

Has always been my favourite NMA album Impurity even tho I was watching NMA from the time of Vengeance. Just something about the atmosphere of that album and a time in my life when it was on constantly (on tape) in my motor. Get Me Out is for me the ultimate NMA song, throbbing, relentless and compelling and with an undeniable anthemic chorus and of course amazing when the band do it live. Only caught one gig on the Impurity tour at the old Cornwall Coliseum, still love hearing Whirlwind live or on the album. The artwork has an air of legend about it and Before I Get Old gives me goosebumps and makes the hairs on me neck stand on end - although it wouldn't this weekend cos I had a very close crop with a cut throat yesterday lol

[Danny]

It's the album I discovered them with, when it came out, and as such it'll always have a special place in my heart. When asked the dreaded question 'which is your favourite NMA album' my answer alternates between Impurity and Ghost of Cain (although objectively I say their best has probably gotta be T&C because of the reasons stated by many in the other thread)

[Impuri-D]

I love it so much I gave myself a silly username in its honour.

[mudgeek]

Well, some of us can blame "Thunder & Consolation" for being such a blast of an album... and to follow that up with "Impurity" was/is hard work indeed! Not my fave but I love tracks such as "Lust For Power", "Purity" and "Before I Get Old", and "Whirlwind", just to name a few.

[Guy]

I think if I was forced to make a choice it is my favourite album. Songs like Purity, Lurhstaap, Vanity, Space and Whirlwind are among their best. The show they played at the Town & Country on that tour remains in my all time top ten greatest live gigs. Also unlike T&C which contains the gloriously shite 'Inheritance' there isn't a single track that I dislike. Did anyone else note how Marshall reworked Space on the last tour? Pure genius, musicianship just doesn't get any better

[c]

For me, it does have tracks I don't really like  "11 years" and "Before I grow old".

But it has some absolutely fantastic tracks which sounded even better live (as on Raw Melody Men) but also one of my all time favourite tracks "Marrakesh".