Immolation’s story goes back to a time when death metal didn’t really exist except as a transitional form between thrash and death. Theirs is a story of a band that has been at the forefront of death metal for more than two decades, a story which narrates not just how the band has evolved during this time but also how the genre has expanded with their immeasurable contributions. And the band continues to shape this narrative with their new album, Kingdom of Conspiracy, with the same inextinguishable energy and rigor (pun intended) that made them take their genre into new territories in the past.
But do not make the mistake of assuming that the band has compromised style for novelty here. This is Immolation through and through, their well-defined style being the pulsating heart of the songwriting. Any exploration and expansion of possibilities occurs mostly with the production value and the general intensity of songs even ignoring the production. I’ve heard numerous complaints about the drum production by some fans who expect the band to continually churn out the same album every time, and the slightest offsetting of any variable leads to their grim upset. But absent such expectations or expectations to instantly fall in love with it, and you’re in for one of heaviest, most brutal and pounding death metal records ever produced.
I was myself skeptical initially when I heard the title of the album and more so when I saw the cover art, what with it resembling science-fiction dystopia, but I have learned through many, many years of experience to not trust my own first impression of a work of art; the number of times I’ve been proven wrong is large enough to discredit it. Eventually, when the band released the title song with lyrics on YouTube, it all made sense: The theme fits the songwriting like a key does a lock. Themes of an Orwellian future taken to its dreadful extreme, of unquestioning submission to authority, and of militaristic control of entire societies are brought to life in a way that only this kind of music – and Immolation in particular – could. I’m usually not one to take most death metal lyrics seriously, nor should one, but here’s an album worthy of meaningful lyrical depth not too common.
There is an increase in the speed and number of fast-paced tracks. Club this speed with loud, ear-splittingly heavy snare drums and torrential blast beats, throw in Ross Dolan’s voice of God, and Vigna’s inimitable guitar chops and solos, and you get songs as intimidating as All That Awaits Us and God Complex. Steve Shalaty has by now proven himself a worthy drum replacement and can bring the teeth of blast beats to song sections that don’t have them, such as 15 seconds into Bound to Order (You’ll know it when you hear it). But it’s not all brutality all the time. Slower songs such as Keep the Silence and The Great Sleep carry a haunting melody that complements the overall atmosphere, mood, and theme of the album.
One of the reasons I fell in love with death metal many years ago was because right from a very young age I’ve had a thing for no-holds-barred, unapologetically violent music. That’s not to say I like brutal music just for the sake of its brutality, nor the gory lyrics; there are countless brutal death metal bands as lacking in shame as in talent doing just that. But when the violent tone is subordinated to quality songwriting, and innovations in sound engineering subordinated to musicianship, out comes a rare album this deserving of praise and preservation.
In an interview with Alex Webster a couple of years ago, he said that unlike thrash metal which died out in the 90s, death metal today is better than it ever was. Kingdom of Conspiracy testifies to the validity of that statement. Kingdom of Conspiracy is the album I’ve been waiting for.
But do not make the mistake of assuming that the band has compromised style for novelty here. This is Immolation through and through, their well-defined style being the pulsating heart of the songwriting. Any exploration and expansion of possibilities occurs mostly with the production value and the general intensity of songs even ignoring the production. I’ve heard numerous complaints about the drum production by some fans who expect the band to continually churn out the same album every time, and the slightest offsetting of any variable leads to their grim upset. But absent such expectations or expectations to instantly fall in love with it, and you’re in for one of heaviest, most brutal and pounding death metal records ever produced.
I was myself skeptical initially when I heard the title of the album and more so when I saw the cover art, what with it resembling science-fiction dystopia, but I have learned through many, many years of experience to not trust my own first impression of a work of art; the number of times I’ve been proven wrong is large enough to discredit it. Eventually, when the band released the title song with lyrics on YouTube, it all made sense: The theme fits the songwriting like a key does a lock. Themes of an Orwellian future taken to its dreadful extreme, of unquestioning submission to authority, and of militaristic control of entire societies are brought to life in a way that only this kind of music – and Immolation in particular – could. I’m usually not one to take most death metal lyrics seriously, nor should one, but here’s an album worthy of meaningful lyrical depth not too common.
There is an increase in the speed and number of fast-paced tracks. Club this speed with loud, ear-splittingly heavy snare drums and torrential blast beats, throw in Ross Dolan’s voice of God, and Vigna’s inimitable guitar chops and solos, and you get songs as intimidating as All That Awaits Us and God Complex. Steve Shalaty has by now proven himself a worthy drum replacement and can bring the teeth of blast beats to song sections that don’t have them, such as 15 seconds into Bound to Order (You’ll know it when you hear it). But it’s not all brutality all the time. Slower songs such as Keep the Silence and The Great Sleep carry a haunting melody that complements the overall atmosphere, mood, and theme of the album.
One of the reasons I fell in love with death metal many years ago was because right from a very young age I’ve had a thing for no-holds-barred, unapologetically violent music. That’s not to say I like brutal music just for the sake of its brutality, nor the gory lyrics; there are countless brutal death metal bands as lacking in shame as in talent doing just that. But when the violent tone is subordinated to quality songwriting, and innovations in sound engineering subordinated to musicianship, out comes a rare album this deserving of praise and preservation.
In an interview with Alex Webster a couple of years ago, he said that unlike thrash metal which died out in the 90s, death metal today is better than it ever was. Kingdom of Conspiracy testifies to the validity of that statement. Kingdom of Conspiracy is the album I’ve been waiting for.
