Immolation - Kingdom Of Conspiracy

Published May 27 2013

*=Staff's pick	Echoes Of Despair* Keep The Silence* Kingdom Of Conspiracy* Serving Divinity The Great Sleep* Indoctrinate A Spectacle Of Lies God Complex Bound To Order All That Awaits

Genre	Death Metal	Ross Dolan	Vocals
Tracks	10	Robert Vigna	Guitar
Running time	60 Min.	Bill Taylor	Guitar
Label	Nuclear Blast	Ross Dolan	Bass
Release	10 May 2013	Steve Shalaty	Drums
Country	USA	-	Keyboard
Producer	Paul Orofino
Similar artists	Suffocation, Morbid Angel

Immolation are back with their ninth album, Kingdom Of Conspiracy. Initially started in 1988, this year makes their 25th anniversary and they are showing no signs of slowing down. The thing with technical death metal is that it often becomes something of a paradox in my mind, where the technical perfection takes the edge of the aggression. I usually favour a more simple, old-school approach to death metal but I have to say that Immolation never disappoints.

The first three tracks are really top-notch and I find myself listening to them over and over again. I love how the drums often follow the guitar, enhancing the impact of the riffs. However, this is not really a very varied album - you really notice how well-constructed the songs are when you listen to them one by one but I find it hard to keep my focus at 100% when I listen to the album in its entirety.

Other than the opening trio, I really enjoy The Great Sleep which is a little more slow paced than the rest of the album. It has mezmerising melodies, asteamrolling heaviness and almost an epic mood. There are a lot of instant classics on this album and I hope that I'll get the oppurtunity to hear some of them live in Sweden some time soon.

While Kingdom Of Conspiracy perhaps isn't the most unique death metal album ever made, it is a solid addition to an already impressive discography and a lot better than the vast majority of today's scene. It's filled with pulverizingly heavy songs, played with surgical precision and Immolation remain one of the most consistent death metal bands of today.

See also review of: Providence , Shadows In The Light

Performance	Originality	Production	Vocals	Songwriting
8	6	7	7	7

Summary
7 chalices of 10 - Bjorn