IMMOLATION - Acts Of God LP (Black Vinyl)

Immolation, along with Suffocation and Incantation, I consider to be a big three of New York death metal. Their sound is brutal, technical, and features extremely low-pitch guttural vocals. All released their debuts around the same time and peaked in the early-to-mid-'90s. And most importantly, all three of them have been among the most consistent death metal artists over the last thirty years. Never straying too far from their formula, but never remaining stagnant or phoning it in.

For the Yonkers-based Immolation, the subtle progression towards a more grandiose, triumphant, and picturesque sound and presentation has been happening for a few years at least. On 2017's Atonement, Immolation did their usual thing but the performances were larger-than-life, bordering on bombastic but never quite getting there, and focused lyrically on painting mythical scenes of battle. These concepts, both in writing and in music, are expanded on further with the band's new album, Acts of God. After a brooding introduction, the band gets right into things with the heavy chugging on "An Act of God." This extremely heavy, distorted sound is Immolation's bread and butter, but what is a surprise is Ross Dolan's energetic and crushing vocal performance. Track after track on this album he delivers memorable performances.