Search - Immolation :: Harnessing Ruin

Dark, powerful, and smart

Jonathan Lance Davis | 04/15/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This was my first Immolation CD and it is by far the best heavy metal album that I've heard in a long time. The music is a brilliant combination of dark melodies and intense guitar riffs that grab a hold and never lets up. The lyrics and vocals are intense and brutally effective. Many heavy metal albums do sound like mindless noise. However, this album was well thought out and has a organized, violent sound that makes for an extremely enjoyable listening experience. Highly recommended."

"Challenge the storm"

See about me | North | 04/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been making alot of 5 star reviews lately. Oh well, here's another. Immolation is a technical death metal band from NY. And when I say "technical," don't think an uninspired Suffocation knockoff or something, Immolation are easily one of the most original bands around with this release. Immolation are characterized by heavily dissonant harmonic guitar interplay, anchored by new drummer Steve Shalaty's clinical and meticulous double skin-pounding. With their texturous harmonic patterns, Eastern-tinged solos, thumping double bass, and Ross Dolan's omniscient growls, Immolation's sound is best described as warlike. Best of all, there's a great deal of atmosphere despite the band not relying on dubious keyboard arrangements. What's left, then? Immolation are clearly politically charged, without sounding preachy or even falling into dissident archetypes. As for flaws, the production sounds pretty suffocated, not a big loss though.



Yeah, good CD. Get it, death metal fan or not.

- Thus says the Pellington"

Intense, dark and brutal death metal from genre legends.

Ben Stubbs | Australia | 05/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Oh my. This is some seriously intense, dark and brutal death metal from genre legends Immolation. After being impressed with 2000s "Close to a World Below" and even more-so with 2002s excellent "Unholy Cult", I'd been looking forward to this release very much. I'm glad to report that this is as strong as anything the band have ever produced, and certainly one of the best death metal albums of the last few years.



If you've never heard death metal before, this is not the place to start! Immolation's albums at first can be quite overwhelming. There isn't much breathing space here, and the chaotic time-changes and discordant riffery that the band utilize can take some time to make sense of. Add to that the very dark and monstrous visual and audible imagery of Immolation and you've got an extreme listen. But believe me, once you give them some time, you soon begin to realise the creative genius these Americans have at their disposal. For those of you that have experience with death metal, Immolation lie somewhere in the league of Morbid Angel and the bizarre brilliance of Gorguts.



The band made a conscious decision to not over-produce "Harnessing Ruin" and have tried to create a raw but clear sound that is easy (for non-mortals) to reproduce live. They have succeeded, as this sounds very, very heavy and crystal clear, without the clinical sound that so often comes with modern death metal. The band has a new drummer in Steve Shalaty, and he manages to fill the very large shoes of the departed Alex Hernandez. His work on "Harnessing Ruin" is awesome and the guy has absolutely nailed the unique Immolation style. The guitar riffs and solos are always fantastic and Ross Dolan's vocals are bettered by none. The fact that he can sound so brutal and nasty, while always being decipherable is a sign of just how good he is. I don't have the lyrics to the album and yet, I know a lot of the words already. An unusual occurrence in metal this extreme! It's very difficult for me to pick album highlights as every song is worthy of praise and the album should definitely be listened to in its entirety.



To conclude, if you like death metal, get this album! If you don't like death metal, you're not going to like this. It's that simple! The chances of me ever seeing Immolation live are very slim, but I reckon it would be one of the best experiences a metal fan could have. Immolation are at their peak, and I very much look forward to seeing where they go from here."