I’m suddenly finding death metal legends Immolation absolutely infuriating and frustrating. Most of them are older than I am, and to hear them still making art as good as their latest album “Descent” makes me insane. I think the only thing I do better in my advanced age is take naps. Pretty great at that.
Their twelfth album since their formation in 1988 is a crusher, another entry into a masterful catalog that sounds as sinister as ever. First listen, I loved it, but it also just might be because I like Immolation. But every listen after got even better, and there might be no end in sight for this band—vocalist/bassist Ross Dolan, guitarists Robert Vigna and Alex Bouks, drummer Steve Shalaty. Normally, the bad aims its ire toward Catholicism and its many documented scourges throughout the years. But on “Descent,” they view where we are as a possible hell, watching humankind burn itself to the ground, maybe forever.
“These Vengeful Winds” starts ominously with clean guitars, and then the riffs cut in with precision, harsh growls pummeling, chillingly evil melodies striking. The playing then just flat out smokes, the lead exploring, howls choking, spacious sounds encircling. “The Ephemeral Curse” opens with the drums wrecking and the playing smothering, Dolan’s growls tightening, the guitars spindling into explosive heat. The soloing ignites, the pace bustling as guitars race, ominous clouds thickening. “God’s Last Breath” clashes, fiery gusts driving, growls curdling as the tempo does a slow burn. The energy then trucks harder, ferocity ravaging as the fires spread rapidly, growls dusting as everything ends as crushingly as possible. “Adversary” explodes, spitting hammers, the pace destroying, the guitars sounding like sirens calling over a battle. Leads swim through bloody waters as channeled fury blisters, melodies snarling, corrosion eating through bone. “Attrition” has guitars bending and sooty growls, the leads churning and send back heat. The drums gut as the soloing soars, the tempo gushing and fading into a thick smoke blanket.
“Bend Towards the Dark” ignites, brutal growls laying waste, the leads twisting and snarling, the soloing bubbling and spilling overboard. Growls boil as the humidity thickens, a brief calm is pierced by drubbing growls, and the playing combusts, leaving behind shrapnel. “Host” has the drums exploding, growls engorging, the guitars hanging overhead before a trudging force touches down. The playing gets hazy and sinewy, growls smoking as the leads explore, sharp shrieks sinking in the blade. “False Ascent” ravages, the drums totally destroying, mauling growls turning things beastly. The leads soar as the burly underbelly shows infection, the attack totally obliterating and stabbing toward a trucking finish. “Banished” is an eerie, mystical instrumental, one that emerges from the shadows with clean guitars and moody strings. Electric leads slice from the shadows, slipping into oblivion. The title track closes, savagery plastering at every turn, a controlled pace taking its time delivering punishment. Leads erupt as the intensity spikes, Dolan howling, “We’ve reached the point of no return,” a soberingly accurate statement followed by mashing playing, foggy leads, and an all-consuming blaze at the end.
It’s infuriating Immolation still are making records as good as “Descent.” How fucking dare they? It’s evident from the beginning of this record how fucking on they are, and the savagery feels more sudden and violent than usual. Their disgust with the path humanity is on is easy understand, and the vitriol they deliver should be bottled so that people who have trailed off can wake up and care again.
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/immolation
To buy the album, go here: https://shop.nuclearblast.com/collections/immolation
Meat Mead Metal 