New York was always fertile ground for death metal and Immolation are one of the legends of that scene, this being their tenth full length album in thirty years of band´s existence. This one is featuring intro and fourteen songs of old school death metal like we are used to from this death metal institution. Vocalist/bassist Ross Dolan sounds mighty, but at the same time you can understand most of what is being sung, so it is another plus in my opinion. Songs are filled with blast beats and brutality, but Immolation also incorporates their thrash metal roots and influences in their songwriting with blistering and fast solos, some groove almost urban thrash metal parts here and there, but underneath all brutality, politics, dealing with life, anti religion, there is also melody and subtle catchiness in many songs giving them extra energy and boost making them appealing and taking you to obscure dimension of brutality, carnage and emotions, some dark, some inner demons, but making you fight the grey everyday reality through viciousness of music and death metal itself, and at the meaning of death metal, at its core, the name Immolation is written in large, blood red letters. My personal favorites: An Act Of God, Blooded, Derelict Of Spirit.
8/10
