Impureza’s Alcázares fuses flamenco fire with death metal fury, a groundbreaking Hispanic metal masterpiece.
Formed in 2004 by guitarist Lionel Cano Muñoz in Orléans, Impureza blends Franco-Spanish heritage into a pioneering style dubbed Hispanic Metal. Their third album, Alcázares, drops July 11, 2025, via Season of Mist, fusing brutal death metal with Andalusian flamenco and orchestral flair. Inspired by the Reconquista’s medieval clash, the band—featuring Esteban Martín (vocals), Lionel Cano Muñoz (guitars), Florian Saillard (fretless bass), and Guilhem Auge (drums)—crafts a 49-minute odyssey of Latin atmospheres and metal ferocity, drawing from Paco de Lucía, Camarón de la Isla, and bands like Nile and Fleshgod Apocalypse.
The journey begins with the instrumental “Verdiales,” flooding the senses with wonder through delicate Spanish guitar. “Bajo las Tizonas de Toledo” erupts into a progressive, aggressive “pasodoble,” where electric and acoustic guitars duel amid pounding drums, evoking the pain of a sword strike. “Covadonga” shifts to a traditional death metal vibe, lyrically transporting us to Asturias, while “Pestilencia”—the track that hooked me the most is with it’s Spanish guitar intro and growling prog-metal kick—captures the album’s essence. “Reconquistar Al-Ándalus” adds folk and Afro-Cuban percussion to relentless riffs and tempo shifts, hinting at prog mastery. “Murallas” brings warmth with acoustic guitar and clapping, grounding the chaos with a barrio feel. “La Orden del Yelmo Negro” shines with Latin-drenched drums and lyrics, while “Castigos Eclesiásticos” contrasts romantic acoustic parts with a heavy wall of sound. “El Ejército de los Fallecidos de Alarcos” resurrects dead soldiers with black magic undertones, “Ruina del Alcázar” offers another instrumental breather, and “Santa Inquisición” closes with violent power, name-dropping Tomás de Torquemada in a prog-folk finale.
At 49 minutes, Alcázares is a fresh, progressive triumph that grabbed me instantly—uncommon in today’s saturated metal scene. Though new to me, exploring their past works after I listened to “Pestilencia” for the first time cemented my admiration. As a fan of Spanish classics like Los Suaves and Triana’s flamenco rock, I’ve long dreamed of this heavy fusion, and Impureza delivers. Biased or not, this lands in my top ten of 2025, a keeper for years ahead.
Rating: 9.5/10
Key Tracks: “Petilencia” and “Bajo las Tizonas de Toledo”
For Fans of: Behemoth, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Nile
Buy it and Stream it: impureza.bandcamp.com/album/alc-zares
Follow: @impurezaofficial