Review by Nekrist on June 16, 2024.

“Indian” was and still is an evocative name that was born from the depths of extreme metal, which only those who explore it seriously and constantly are able to discover. I had a direct connection with Indian through my already well-known favorite band Lord Mantis, a band with which they shared a rehearsal room (the noisiest room according to Andrew Markuszewski of Lord Mantis), and with whom they ended up collaborating mutually as members of a large group of extraordinary musicians at that time.

Different factors ended up disintegrating this brotherhood, not only due to personal differences between them but also due to the tragic death of Bill Bumgardner (R.I.P), who was a fundamental part of both bands, with his fierce, rhythmic, crawling and completely unmistakable style for the most ears educated in extreme music. All these events led to the end of both projects (or at least apparently).

Once the context of these groups has been explained, this latest album by Indian titled “From All Purity” closes with a flourish the career of such an enigmatic band, the vocal and instrumental execution is as sublime and evocative as the album title itself, which expresses beauty through an internal suffering that is reflected in the cover art, the riffs are so maximalist, pessimistic and sinister that it is impossible not to be infected by these sad and negative thoughts and sensations, achieving very memorable melodies and rhythms that will invite the listener to press “replay” over and over again.

The vocal section is impressive as always, Dylan O'Toole is not only my favorite extreme vocalist, but also a seal of quality who always manages to surprise me when I think that he can no longer innovate with the use of his voice, I always mention and highlight in reviews dedicated both to Lord Mantis and now to Indian that the way in which Dylan puts rhythm and musicality to such an acidic and furious voice to create memorable vocal lines is shocking. In a song like “Directional” Dylan shows the power of his voice at quite high levels, one of my favorite performances on the album, the atmosphere is so desolate, crushing and dissonant that we will feel how we are slowly rotting throughout the course of the record.

Bill's drums mark Indian's funeral songs in a practically martial way at times. If depression and pessimism were a song, “Disambiguation” would probably be a strong candidate for that title, a completely heartbreaking and oppressive song. Indian are also known for the use of “Noise” within their sludge/doom metal, which on this album is not as prominent as on their debut “The Unquite Sky”, a more experimental album in which Indian were still finding their identity.

On the other hand, the production is masterful and perfectly helps the songs to be heard impeccably while we have that “garage” feeling typical of sludge, however this band takes this style much further, just like Lord Mantis did, because they make the style reach sinister and much more complex terrain than the classic names within the genre, the band that is closest (in terms of style, attitude and impact on me) that can be comparable to Indian or Lord Mantis would be Acid Bath.

In conclusion, I hope that these guys continue making music and do not let the enormous talent they have go to waste, it would be a shame to never listen to anything composed by them again, but if their lives have taken them on different paths outside of music, may they have good luck in whatever they do now.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Brian on December 31, 2013.

From All Purity is the fifth full length from Chicago's blackened sludge/doom masters Indian. After releasing their first three full lengths on Seventh Rule Recordings, the band signed to Relapse Records and released their fourth LP Guiltless in 2011. That was a breakthrough album for them. Indian did not rest on the critical success of Guiltless, the forth coming LP see's them refining their sound and this may very well be their best album to date.

The opening track of an album should give you a feeling of what you are about to experience and "Rape" does that successfully. It's slow muddy (in a good way) guitar sound buzzes like a hive of angry bees, while the drums and bass pound away at a two beats per minute pace. This is slow folks and so very heavy. The vocals are of the black metal variety, sickening, painful screams that "rape" your ears. Another highlight of the album is "Rhetoric of No". Right from the start the tortured vocals bring out all the anguish and despair. The song starts off a little uptempo but gradually descends in to slow grinding bliss. As it drones on, effects enter the mix to add atmosphere to song. The album closer "Disambiguation" is the albums best track. Again, slow as can be, more on the doom side of the fence as opposed to the sludge sound that most of the album has. A slight bit of melody can be heard here as well.

Indian is making a statement with From All Purity. Their minimalist approach makes this one heavy album. They have a solid grasp on their sound. This is a very cohesive effort. The vocals are absolutely brilliant and the highlight here. The screaming blacked style makes every tune sound so desperate, as doom metal should be. With the release of From All Purity coming at the end of January, this is one of the first must have albums of 2014.

Categorical Rating Brakedown

Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 8
Originality: 7
Overall: 7.5

Rating: 7.7 out of 10