The band has a theatrical show which features fake blood, cages, coffins, latex severed heads and a finale that includes a mock disemboweling of victims.
They released two records with these labels, the EP Rise of the Mutants in (1985), which caused much controversy with Tipper Gore and her Parents Music Resource Center organization,[1][2][3][4] and their debut LP If We Had Brains... We'd Be Dangerous in 1986, produced by Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü.
on Channel 83 Records with second guitarist John Stradinger, followed by a demo tape Sonic Freak Show in 1995 and a self-financed release on the band's own Vlad Productions titled Undead Things (1996).
The Gruesome Years featured the two Combat releases and additional bonus tracks, plus the Black Leather Monster 7-inch vinyl and a 7-inch EP titled The Mutants Rise Again for Danish label Horror Records.
Impaler continued with a high rate of output during the first decade of the 2000s, releasing four albums, including Old School Ghouls and Habeas Corpus, their last for Root of All Evil Records.
[6] Also released during the decade was the EP, 30 Year and Rising on Old Cemetery Records in 2012, the singles "Krampus" (2014) and "Cass Lake Christmas Massacre" (2017) along with their cover of "Go Away" on the compilation, Tribute to Eric Moore and The Godz, Vol.
The band has been honored with a star on the outside mural of the Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue,[7] recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue.