IMMOLATION — Close to a World Below (review)

IMMOLATION — Close to a World Below album cover Album · 2000 · Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
SilentScream213
Dissonant Death Metal is usually not one of my favorite styles… in fact, it’s one of my least favorite styles of Metal. The focus tends to sacrifice riffs, songwriting and memorability in favor of sounding as insane and extreme as they can, pushing boundaries and dancing the line between music and chaotic nonsense. The famous line from Jurassic Park “(they) were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should" is applicable to many bands in the genre. Which, if you like that, fine… but not me. So why is Immolation an exception? Well, the answer is pretty simple; whereas other bands try focus on being weird, novel and avant-garde, Immolation simply try to sound as evil as fucking possible.

The RIFFS on this thing are just mind-blowingly good. Yes, they’re quite dissonant and technical, but more than anything, they are memorable and twisted. They carry MOOD, they craft ATMOSPHERE. Immolation keep one boot planted firmly in OSDM, and even lyrically, it’s all anti-religious infernal hellfire and suffering (as opposed to some of the abstract and cryptic topics other bands in the style are known for). This ensures that, despite the insane technical prowess and borderline chaotic songwriting at times, these are super evil, memorable, riff-driven SONGS, not bizarre experiments into what a musician can achieve if they forgo all musical conventions. Not just the guitars, but the rhythm sections and the vocals are all preforming magnificently, providing interesting and impressive soundscapes that push the bounds of Death Metal while still retaining a sense of pattern and conventional appeal.

And yes in fact, the weakest moments of this album are when they lean a bit more into that Dissodeath style. “Lost Passion” is an example of a song that has a bit too much skronking and weird rhythmic djenty-ness at times, though it’s still a great song simply because the band is that powerful. “Father, You’re Not a Father” on the other hand, stands much more firmly in OSDM, with more controlled songwriting and performance (for this band) and the most memorable riff on the album. It’s also surprisingly sombre, with lyrics that allude to a bit more than simple God-hating. Very dark and powerful song in addition to its insane musical majesty.

Despite enjoying every single one of the band’s previous albums, I am still amazed and blown away at how much I enjoyed this one. Immolation have earned more than just my respect; they’ve earned my awe.
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