One of the legends of death metal are back with another stellar album...in the case of New York's Immolation, their latest release Atonement once again showcases why they have been one of the most influential extreme metal acts for nearly 30 years. Their tenth album overall, Atonement follows in the footsteps of the very fine Kingdom of Conspiracy from 2013, itself a complete crusher and more than living up to the legacy started with Dawn of Possession back in 1991. One can safely say that Immolation have never released a bad album, and Atonement is easily an immediate ass-kicker, and sure to be one of 2017's best death metal albums.
One thing that's apparent right from the punishing notes of opener "The Distorting Light" is that the band are going in a heavier, more grueling direction here. That's not to say that Atonement doesn't contain its share of technical, complex arrangements, but Immolation instead have dug deep, WAY deep on many of these songs, the riffs massive, the drums gargantuan, and the growls of bassist Ross Dolan completely deadly."Thrown to the Fire" and "When the Jackals Come" contain enormous riffs that seemingly come up from the bowels of the earth, Robert Vigna & Alex Bouks unleashing every possible element in their guitar arsenal for maximum effect. "Lower" starts off with some lilting chords before turning into a bombastic, brutal crusher, Steve Shalaty's gymnastic drum work laying everything in its path to waste amid a cavalcade of punishing riffs, while the rampaging title track sees Immolation's brand of tech-death come to the forefront, a weaving, twisting slice of evil death metal that will leave your head spinning. Production wise, Atonement is stellar, the guitars sounding huge, Dolan's vocals savage yet easily discernible, and the rhythms heart grabbing, all of this coming together perfectly on the maniacal "The Power of Gods", another highlight on an album of highlights.
To top off this incredible album, you also get some spectacular cover art from Par Olofsson, making this a true feast for the senses for any death metal fan. Immolation have once again knocked it out of the park, and when it's all said and done, Atonement is going to be mighty hard to beat this year. The bar has once again been set!
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
01. The Distorting Light
02. When The Jackals Come
03. Fostering The Divide
04. Rise The Heretics
05. Thrown To The Fire
06. Destructive Currents
07. Lower
08. Atonement
09. Above All
10. The Power Of Gods
11. Epiphany
Bonus track (CD only):
12. Immolation (re-recorded)
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
