Immolation-Majesty And Decay

Last Updated (Tuesday, 29 June 2010 17:24) Written by Miguel Blardony Monday, 14 June 2010 16:11

Release Date: March 9, 2010

Label: Nuclear Blast

Genre: Death Metal

Rating: 8.5/10

Comments: 20 years on, the everlasting fire burns so bright.

Before the sonic conflagration proceeds to sweep us away, Immolation sit back and let an intro fire our anticipation. (Haha! Get it?) Just as the dying embers, er, notes of “Satie: Sarabande No. 2” fade into oblivion “The Purge” falls on the unsuspecting listener like a ton of bricks, boiling with wrath and Ross Dolan’s incendiary enunciations tearing down the disease known as the Christian religion. The brutal stuff continues to boil for “A Token of malice” and by the title track Immolation have proven what a timeless quartet they’ve become. Just three songs down and “Majesty And Decay” has showcased the sheer verve and passion that has kept the quartet focused on producing some of the most uncompromising death metal on the planet for well nigh 20 years.

Thick layers of riffs from the Robert Vigna-Bill Taylor tandem and a surprisingly weak drum sound conspire to enliven the thrash-tinged “Divine Code” and by “A Glorious Epoch” the band have taken a turn for the epic. “Interlude” is explanatory and once its creepy ambience is done giving us the chills, Immolation come out swinging for “A Thunderous Consequence” whose grit and verve crackles with infernal energy. For those unfamiliar with the band, Immolation belong to the far more brutal spectrum of death metal—a genre they helped mold, FYI—but rather than your long-familiar Cannibal Corpse incineration, Immolation prefer a slower, heavier sound that’s lent extra heft by the peerless Ross Dolan’s deep growls. In case you’re worried Immolation execute the needless blasts like a million other faceless death metal bands out there, don’t. “Majesty And Decay” has something for everyone, be it a smidgen of melody coursing through each song, intelligent lyrics, and even choice guitar solos from the group’s resident shredders.

Much coolness reigns on “The Rapture of Ghosts” but it hardly compares to the boiling “Power And Shame.” Once “The Comfort of Cowards” is underway, the album is careening headlong towards an explosive finish. By the very last stretch of tortured notes, the gritty production, seismic bass lines, pummeling grooves, and machinegun drums are consigned to oblivion and all that’s left are ashes. Wonderful.