Pandemics. The threat of global conflict. These omens can surely mean only one thing – Immolation, masters of extremity and harbingers of doom, are back. It has been five long years since 2017’s seismic Atonement and, in the interim, the world has all but stopped spinning. Into this chaos marches Immolation, imperious and silhouetted against the fires of a burning world.
The album opens with a short, threatening prelude- the one-minute Abandoned before An Act Of God kicks off the album proper, while simultaneously kicking the listener squarely between the teeth. Immolation know exactly what their audience expect and Act Of God delivers, pitching sledgehammer riffs against Steve Shalaty’s percussive assault. Ross Dolan’s vocals remain a guttural monotone, dredged up from Hades and sent hurtling through the deathly vortex his band conjure up, and it truly feels like a soundtrack to the apocalypse. With an airier riff, the monstrous The Age Of No Light has a cinematic feel, and you can imagine it providing the soundtrack to the climactic battle of Conan the Barbarian, with its arcing guitars and blistering lead breaks. Next up, the slow-motion horror of Noose Of Thorns brings further darkness to proceedings, the relentless toms and sludgy guitars building an almost unbearably oppressive atmosphere into which a faster, harder riff soon pours. An album highlight, it juxtaposes doom-laden weight and deathly speed with impressive skill, conjuring up an evocative piece in the process. In contrast, Shed The Light is more straight forward in its death metal thrills, with stabbing riffs and relentless percussive blasts, while Blooded follows a similarly unpleasant path.
Running the risk of listener burnout, Overtures Of The Wicked is one of those tracks that, while impressive by itself, falls alongside two similarly themed tracks. Fortunately, the hypnotic introduction to Immoral Stain allows a moment’s respite and, while it is exceptionally brief, it allows just enough space for the track to efficiently pummel the listener. Better still, the imperial Incineration Procession steps further away from the sturm und drang of the preceding tracks, opting for inhuman levels of disdain as it surveys the carnage that lies before it. Emerging from the wreckage, Broken Prey sees the band adopt a brutal groove, with neck-snapping potential. The mid-tempo Derelict Of Spirit still succeeds in leaving the listener battered against the bludgeoning wall of guitars, while When Halos Burn is a surging monstrosity, all atonal guitars and acid-drenched gurgles. An impressively majestic piece, Let The Darkness In is particularly mesmerising in its intensity, the sheer scope of the track seeking to dazzle the audience and conjuring up an almost dreamlike feel. It gives way to the short, ethereal And The Flames Wept, which provides a neat segue to album closer, Apostle. A final surge that neatly encapsulates Immolation’s brutalist appeal in four coruscating minutes.
Immolation are a death metal institution and Acts Of God is a fine album, albeit one that arguably punches above its fighting weight. With fifteen tracks on offer, and fifty-two minutes of new music, it is arguable that the album would be improved by tighter editing, particularly in the mid-section, where three, very similarly delivered songs serve to simply burn the listener out. With just a touch more dynamic, this would be an even better album but, as it stands, Immolation know their audience and it’s hard to imagine anyone leaving disappointed. Ferocious and technically immaculate, Immolation stand atop the death metal pack. Long may they reign. 8.5/10
