Even though Immolation have been around from the dawn of death metal, the New York four-piece have never enjoyed the same level of prominence as many of their peers. Debut album Dawn of Possession (R/C Records) is still widely regarded as one of the finest examples of the genre but the 1991 release also remains a millstone around the band’s neck, the general consensus being that, no matter how hard they try, their illustrious debut will never be bettered.

With over thirty years and eleven albums under their belt, it’s good to see Immolation still plying their trade with a satisfying level of consistency. Never the most prolific band in the world, it’s been five years since their last studio outing but now they’ve returned with the reliably brutal Acts of God (Nuclear Blast).

 

The layered atmospheric intro of ‘Abandoned’ is quickly replaced by the churning, rumbling horrors of ‘An Act of God’, ‘The Age of No Light’ and ‘Noose of Thorns’. ‘Shed the Light’ and ‘Blooded’ combine slow and ominous rhythms with explosive blasts of speed, ‘Overtures of the Wicked’ is fairly standard death metal elevated by a couple of serious riffs while the excellent ‘Immoral Stain’ lulls you into a false sense of security with a quiet, brooding intro before landing like an industrial sized sack of cement.

Although fairly standard slabs of violence ‘Incineration Procession’, ‘Broken Prey’ and ‘Derelict of Sprit’ are all carried across the finish line by pure intent while ‘When Halos Burn’ and the murky ‘Let the Darkness In’ both batter their way into your brain with only a modicum of subtlety. ‘And the Flames Wept’ serves as a brief interlude before the album is rounded out by impressive and weighty closer ‘Apostle’.

 

Although the skill of the musicians involved is never in doubt, problems arise due to a lack of variety and a murky mix. Robert Vigna is on top form, shredding for all his worth while Alex Bouks‘ rhythm playing is everything you want, like rusty barbed wire dragged across flesh. Frontman Ross Dolan‘s bass rumbles and throbs under his guttural roar but Steve Shaltay‘s drums are often left buried and muted. However, despite its issues, Acts of God still manages to maintain Immolation’s proud record of never having released a bad album in over thirty years. And not many others in the genre can say that.

Buy the album here: https://www.immolation.info/acts-of-god

 

7 / 10

GARY ALCOCK