Immolation – Kingdom Of Conspiracy (Nuclear Blast)
When it comes to death metal, there are a million variations; deathgrind, melodic death metal, blackened death metal, the list goes on and on. In some cases, though, the best way to describe a band is as pure and simple brutal death metal. One of the bands that fits this description perfectly are longtime New York death metal greats Immolation.
Immolation – Kingdom Of Conspiracy (Nuclear Blast)
When it comes to death metal, there are a million variations; deathgrind, melodic death metal, blackened death metal, the list goes on and on. In some cases, though, the best way to describe a band is as pure and simple brutal death metal. One of the bands that fits this description perfectly are longtime New York death metal greats Immolation. This innate quality of pure death metal greatness is especially apparent on their ninth studio effort, Kingdom of Conspiracy.
The album follows in the footsteps of their two most recent efforts, Majesty And Decay and Shadows In The Light. It still has a lot of the black metal influence and anti-religious imagery that Immolation have been known for since the beginning of their career, but the lyrical content is somewhat broader and touches on political issues and human nature in general. The music is a harder and a more straightforwardly pulverizing brand of brutal death metal than the stuff they produced early on. However, rather than simply rehashing their more recent albums, Kingdom of Conspiracy stands out. It boasts a plethora of lilting, Eastern-sounding solos paired with signature chunky riffs, unrelenting blast beats, and off-kilter rhythms that give each song an interesting and memorable flow.
Kingdom of Conspiracy is also extremely polished-sounding in the production department, which can be a turn-off for some who crave a more raw blend of brutality. However, the honest quality of all their songs and the raw chugging tone of the guitar make sure that the album doesn’t fall into the category of the fake-sounding or the insincere. The flow of Conspiracy is pulverizing from the get-go, starting with the brutal, driving title track and ending with my personal favorite, “All That Awaits Us,” a catchy, throw-back death metal gem that reminds me of classic acts like Death or At The Gates. There are no duds in between, either; each track has a ferocious intensity, and “Keep the Silence” and “The Great Sleep,” the two slower, doomier songs, provide nice breaks from the brutality and pulverizing blast beats.
This album may not blaze an entirely new trail for the death metal genre. It may not even boldly go where no band has gone before. But there is little criticism you can give it. It’s solid, it’s not redundant for Immolation, and although it’s their ninth album, it still boasts some stand-out songs. If you’re a fan of old-school or brutal death metal, and if you’ve been following Immolation over the past few years, this album is definitely worth checking out.
