This is the twelfth album from US death metal band Immolation.
Expectations are high for the return of Immolation, one of death metal’s strongest and most consistent legendary bands. Following on from 2022’s well-received Acts of God, the monstrous Descent drops 43 minutes of new material on an unsuspecting world like ten atomic bombs.
In some cases the promo blurb gets things exactly right – “hymns of darkness and fury” is such a great way to describe Descent. Immolation sound enormous, full of fire and ferocity, still possessed by the band’s innate and much-imitated otherworldly riffs.
Immolation stand out from the crowd in a way that most death metal bands don’t. They sound like themselves. Anyone else that sounds like Immolation is influenced by them. Descent embodies this, boasting a collection of tracks that bring together the band’s manifold talents very well indeed. There is raw aggression, grandiose melodic power, riffs that contort as they obliterate, dark atmospheric depths, light-swallowing growls, and more. Tying it all together is the songwriting and execution, which ensure that Descent is of the highest quality.
Immolation create fully functional songs that offer a comprehensive death metal experience. Each song manages to exude menace from every pore, while also delivering substance and the sort of hooks that ensure endless replay value. A rare combination for sure. The songs pulse and writhe as if alive, while still remaining brutal and punishing. This is an enviable display of songcraft that combines atmosphere, hostility, and catchiness like few others every achieve.
A exception to some parts of the above, and an outlier for Immolation, is the instrumental track Banish. This is a mood-focused work that sets a richly atmospheric tone – subtle, eerie, with a delicate edge of malevolence. Whereas in any normal band’s hands this would be an utter waste of space, that’s not the case here. It has worth in its own right, and serves as a scene-setter for the final song on the album, the title track, which is absolutely immense.
Descent is another masterclass of death metal supremacy from Immolation. It’s as simple as that. It’s a very strong, enjoyable, and satisfying record.
Essential listening for any death metal fan.
Wonderbox Metal 