IMMOLATION
Shadows In The Light
(Listenable Records)
40:30min

If you don’t know IMMOLATION then you simply don’t listen to Death Metal. If you don’t like them, then most probably you never understood what Death Metal is all about. IMMOLATION is – for me at least – the definition of progressive Death Metal. Before cursing me, let me first explain my point… People into Death Metal are rightfully skeptical when using a characterization such as "progressive", mostly because they have in mind acts such as late DEATH, CYNIC, ATHEIST, late PESTILENCE. Nothing against those bands of course (just for the sake of the argument I admire early DEATH and PESTILENCE) and I totally respect their need to evolve or even transform into techno-Death or whatever (sometimes with extremely impressive results as far as technical skills and performance is concerned) but I cannot consider them as real Death Metal (although I listen to "Spheres" and "Symbolic" from time to time). After all those years I have come to the conclusion that – like it or not – Death Metal should sound obscure and morbid. I know that this might sound naive and cliché but – believe it or not – these are the only necessary ingredients real Death Metal needs. Hopefully IMMOLATION not only know that, but continue to evolve, developing their sound and atmosphere into new, undiscovered darker levels. Still, they always manage to sound obscure, atmospheric yet crushing and impressively huge. And although they have injected loads of brutality in the entire record, at certain points their sound transmutes into a mesmerizing dirge that leaves no choice to the listener but to completely lose himself into IMMOLATION’s sound, experiencing an almost hallucinating, trance-like state of mind. This is – by all means – a very "interactive" record in the sense that one can experience it and discover many different facets with successive listens. IMMOLATION is a band that surely knows its trade. "Shadows In The Light" sounds so damn majestic without incorporating a single majestic element. This is a record that breeds nothing but utter darkness, yet in a subtle and "elegant" manner that has the potential to consume unaware listeners. To put it nice and short: This is Death Metal art for those who understand and hear the call… www.everlastingfire.com, www.listenable.net.

Manolis A.

Manolis A.

Related reviews / interviews:
IMMOLATION - Dawn Of Possession - 33rd Anniversary... (Sérgio "Baloff" Borges (HEADHUNTER D.C.))
IMMOLATION - Hope And Horror (MCD/DVD) (Hacker)
IMMOLATION - Providence (Nathan Shapiro)
IMMOLATION - Bringing Down The World (Frank Stöver)
IMMOLATION - Harnessing Ruin (Frank Stöver)
IMMOLATION - Unholy Cult (Edouard Vergriete)
IMMOLATION - Close To A World Below (Schenk)
IMMOLATION - Interview (Frank Stöver)
IMMOLATION - Interview (Stefan Franke)

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