Artist: Immolation
Label: Metal Blade
Release Date: 11/7/00
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Title: Close to a World Below Artist: Immolation Label: Metal Blade Release Date: 11/7/00 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Abyss's Review:
Immolation are a band that I often lump in with Incantation. They're both great American Death Metal bands that I barely ever listen to. Why, you ask? I don't have a valid explanation for you, except that they don't have any individual songs that jump out and grab me. And although it's easy to listen along and point out all of the cool shit going on (brutal drumming, powerful and precise riffs, and one of the purest Death Metal growls around), if someone asks me my favorite song, I'll have a blank stare on my face.
Photos by Cynthia PelznerThis album's gone a pretty good length towards changing that, however. My early favorite on this, their newest work, is the very complete song, "Fall From a High Place". Marked by multiple time changes and a gamut of sounds, this song instantly stood out amongst the others upon my first listen, and the good news is that it keeps getting better. Further good news is that the rest of the album is also quite good, and where these guys are really keeping my attention is in their ability to apply a variety of styles to their brutal core. While influences are predominantly centered around Morbid Angel, they've also incorporated some reflective, wailing guitar leads that, if not done so well, would seem far out of place. But as it is, the songs come across as thorough and inspired, and I believe that this album will help launch these guys up to the next tier of bands.
These guys definitely still have a ways to go, but so far everything's going in the right direction. The only thing this band really needs is a little more exposure. Given this, I think that the possibility of crossover success to less brutally centralized fans is possible, but even if that doesn't happen, these guys will further embed themselves with their core fan base and shake away the last vestiges of mediocrity.
Death's Review:
"Didn't you say Jesus was coming?" Well, apparently, he hasn't paid a visit to the guys in Immolation yet. Dismayed at the fact of feeling royally stiffed by the supposed son of god, they channel their anti-Christian aggressions into platters of American-style death metal rage. And it is this type of garbage that is poisoning the minds of America's youth. They must be stopped, or at least labeled. If I'm elected pres-...
Hold on. Sorry about that. I've been mired in far too much election propaganda lately, the Gore-Lieberman anti-entertainment industry censorship campaign itself is getting to me. What's a right-minded, fiscally-moderate, social liberal to do? Vote for Ralph Nader? Like Kang and Kodos, the evil alien dudes from The Simpsons said in the Clinton/Dole episode:
Kodos: "It's true, we are aliens. But what are you going to do about it? It's a two-party system! You have to vote for one of us."
(the crowd murmurs)
Man in Crowd: "Well, I believe I'll vote for a third-party candidate!"
Kang: "Go ahead, throw your vote away! Ah-Hahahahahahahahahaahahahahaa!!!!!"
Anyway, Immolation. Close to a World Below is another album full of Christian-hating death metal, only this time with better production and an ass-kicking cover full of flames and naked chicks and a skeletal looking dead-Christ type figure on a crucifix smack dab in the middle of the action. Yes, Bob Vigna's guitar work is at times intricate, as expected, although much of his pinch harmonic and guitar squeal theatrics comes off as a little too much Trey Azagthoth Junior from time to time. And yes, Alex Hernandez' drumming is delivered with precision speed and brutality, while Ross Dolan's vocals seem to have gained a subtle depth from the production ugrade. All of the elements are there.
Unfortunately, the songs do not grab my attention, and while they mine the same ore as the aforementioned Morbid Angel, nothing sticks to the brain with the slowly-oozing brilliance of Gateways to Annihilation. With such a windfall of great new metal getting released lately (when all is said and done metal history may look back upon now as one of the best three-month stretches of releases ever, although there must have been a similar span at some point in 1985), I just can't continue to fire out great scores for stuff that doesn't find some way to rise above the glut and stand out from the pack. So while this an excellent example of well-performed and well-recorded American death, there is a lot of other stuff out there that I'm going to want to spend my time with. Maybe I'm just getting burnt out on straight death metal right now, I don't know. If you live for death metal or love Immolation, check this one out. If, however, you are a more mainstream type with only a passing or newfound interest in the death metal genre, get Gateways to Annihilation. And if you are a well-rounded metalhead who likes to pick up the best from every genre and/or the freshest, most unique material, you could go either way.
Hel's Review:
Webster's dictionary defines "immolation" to be the act of killing or destroying. The band chose their name well, for this is what they do musically. A death metal bombast is unleashed, Close to a World Below.
Failures for Gods narrowly missed being on my top ten list of 1999. I've seen these guys play at many a 'fest, and they put on a great show every time. So I'm predisposed to like Close to a World Below. And I just like to say the name of the album so damn much.
I thought it odd at first that there were only eight songs on the album. It turns out, there are some epically long songs on this disc, and in the end you forget all about the length. The important thing here is that it's really good death metal.
The vocals are extra-deep, demon-from-hell style, which is truly the ideal style for the death metal purist. The drumming is thunderous. The fury of the riffing guitars could quite possibly knock you off your feet. But the most compelling parts are the more unusual ones. It's not all a straightforward, all-out attack, there's some artful musicianship involved.
I think this one is a keeper. Because there's been such a glut of great releases lately, there is a temptation to refrain from handing out good scores, but to hell with that. No matter what scale I use, this album is completely addictive. The release date timing isn't perfect, but if you have the chance to hear it early, I think this is a fitting album for such a metal time of year, Halloween. Happy hauntings, my little ghouls.
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