Impaler through the years: A look back at the local metal band's 28-year history

Photos courtesy of Impaler

​From the '80s metal heyday to the grunge infused '90s and up through the last decade and today, the godfathers of Twin Cities thrash metal and horror rock, Impaler, have as extensive a catalog as they do history.

Having played countless shows in the Twin Cities and around the world, the band has assembled an impressive body of work and releases up through 2009's studio album Cryptozooology and even a three-disc retrospective on Chinese metal label, Xmusick, released this past year. The band may be getting older but they show no signs of slowing down.

In an interview that will appear in City Pages print edition this week, founding member and lead vocalist Bill Lindsey gave me some history and photographs of the band from the early days up until today. The following is a collection of photos, videos, and flyers that follow Impaler through their beginnings in the '80s up their performance at the Zombie Pub Crawl in October of 2010.

Impaler playing the Whole in 1985

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Here's Bill describing the origins of the iconic cover of their debut release, Rise of the Mutants, and how the band were jettisoned into the spotlight due to their provocative stageshow and lyrics in 1985:




A video for "Dancing on the Edge" from 1985:




Concert flyers from Impaler's '80s shows, and a concert photo from that time period:

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'90s Impaler kicks out the jams:




Photos of Impaler in the '90s:

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The cover for Wake up Screaming (1990)

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"The Last Ride" from Habeas Corpus (2005)




Impaler asks the immortal question, "Where is the Minnesota Iceman?" from 2009's "concept record" Cryptozooology

Zombie Pub Crawl at the 501 Club, Summer 2010

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For more on Impaler:

• Impaler's Bill Lindsey shares memories and holiday greetings (article from this week's City Pages)
  
• Behind-the-scenes slideshow from our holiday photo shoot with Impaler