Review: Immolation - Acts Of God (2022)
Immolation is one of the most influential bands in the death metal scene worldwide. They have a relentless and a signature sound that I never get tired of it. This year they are returns and release their eleventh album is called Acts Of God that was released by Nuclear Blast Records on February 18th, 2022.
Abandoned opens this album with a dark tone, spouting a dread that is shrouded in a gripping atmosphere, then An Act Of God comes to greet the ghastliness with high aggressiveness, sharp guitar riffs pierce every time along with cruel howls of vocals, its dark interlude as if evoking fear that will linger every moment, and his riveting solo immerses us in a cruel atmosphere, before The Age Of No Light arrives with its dark tremolo, then the tight drums accompany every atrocity on this track. This song features a sinister blackened side with its evil guitar riff. Noose Of Thorns further immerses us in a feeling of restlessness, where gloomy notes are intertwined with eerie vocals. The tempo isn't very fast but they don't lose the brutal side that continues to torment, a scary guitar solos slip behind dark guitar riffs with a haunting tone, then Shed The Light comes with more challenging riffs, the powerful drums being the sustaining energy for the grumbling vocals that delivers all the rage, while Blooded explodes with dark and murky guitar riffs, then solid vocals and tight drums share the place to continue creating a boundless madness, and slashing guitar solos arrive to complete the brutality of this track.
Overtures Of The Wicked, a very aggressive track with fast and tight guitar riffs, its straightforward vocals unite with crushing drums to create a pertrified, before the sharp guitar solos strike us with heartless technicality, then Immoral Stain resurrect the dark atmosphere with a bleak intros that perform a session of excellent bass guitar, before the music stomping with sinister tones that built on a series of fierce and complex guitar riffs, and the attractive drumming becomes a great attendant for violent vocals. Incineration Procession reconnects the torment with disjointed guitar riffs which seem to give a sense of dread that slowly grows stronger along with the haunting melodies that continues echoing, then Broken Prey comes with a strong blackened element, where the band continues to increase the level of fear to a more horrible direction, while Derelict Of Spirit attacks us with dark and sharp guitar riffs, its piercing guitar solos increasingly lead us to the inhumanity that always surrounds us. When Halos Burn, a song that has a thick density of structure built from a series of heavy and sturdy guitars, solid vocals, and crushing drums, where the intricate guitar solos reveal a side of extraordinary technicality, then Let The Darkness In comes with a very solid composition that features a twisting melody allowing the band to create an endless chaos, before And The Flames Wept takes on its role to provide a break for us to breathe with the accompaniment of a serene tones. The album closed with Apostle, a track that is very solid and has a very dense structure featuring heavy guitar riffs, ferocious vocals, and punishing drums. In the end they always maintain their aggressiveness to continue creating fright and brutality throughout this album echoed.
Acts Of God is an epic masterpiece, featuring uncompromising death metal with a formidable composition that built from a series of sharp, dark, and complex guitars riffs, eerie and savage vocals, incredible bass lines, devastating drum performances, and a lot of charming, invigorating, and even astonishing guitar solos. The songwriting is very brilliant that supported by incredible craftsmanship of each member. The production is outstanding with the superb sound selection. This album is an authentic proof that they are still an extraordinary icons for the development of death metal so far. This is their longest album in terms of duration and number of songs, and in my opinion this is their best offering.