 "Photo: Courtesy of Immolation")
Tech, death/thrash, brutal, slam, old-school revival, deathcore. All of these have been trends in death metal at one time or another, and New York's Immolation has not a single thing to do with them. That's not to say they haven't grown as a band, but their perseverance and refusal to jump on bandwagons has paid off. Immolation, comprised of guitarists Bob Vigna and Bill Taylor, bassist and vocalist Ross Dolan and drummer Steve Shalaty, pummels audiences worldwide as hard in 2008 as they did in 1988.
Immolation is still touring in support of Shadows in the Light, released last May on Century Media. This album has all the qualities that made Dawn of Possession and Close to a World Below classics with critics and fans alike - guttural vocals, harmonies infused with dissonance, furious guitars with a hint of melody and above all, focus. To an untrained ear, it's white noise, but true fans know no two Immolation albums are the same.
"Some bands are very brutal, and some are very atmospheric," he said. "We're right in the middle. We try a lot of things."
The band has been widening their lyrical scope since the dawn of the new millennium, and Shadows continues with that direction. Though rebelling against Christianity has always been the main theme, Immolation also takes a look at the condition of the modern man. The song "The Weight of Devotion" portrays the tolls a working-class life can take while "World Agony" expands upon the consequences and lusts of war.
Despite the subtle musical changes and shifting away from pure blasphemy, Immolation never forgets where they come from.
"We were inspired by bands like Metallica and Slayer, and it kept progressing into Possessed, Destruction, Kreator, King Diamond and Mercyful Fate," Dolan said of his younger days. "We have to try to expand the music, but not exactly lose the roots."
For their live show, the band members clad themselves in black, arm themselves with their instruments and destroy. They have earned their reputation as one of death metal's premier live bands from fans that have witnessed their tour with fellow New York bands. Suffocation and Skinless will attest. There are no deep, esoteric meanings behind their lives performances, though.
"We just get up there and do what we have to do," Vigna said. "Metal takes place, that's about it."
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