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IMMOLATION - Majesty and Decay

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For over 20 years, IMMOLATION has continued to raise the bar for quality underground metal and on their eighth full-length, Majesty and Decay, the Yonkers NY quartet shows no signs of softening up or slowing down. “The Purge” sets the stage for the onslaught to come, taking the listener through a labyrinth of twisted, convoluted riffs and blasting drum patterns. But to the band’s credit, they allow plenty of room for the riffs to breathe and the listener to absorb them which makes the onslaught a little easier to digest. The pace continues with urgency throughout most of Majesty and Decay. However, the band’s subtle use of dynamics and ability to pull back on the aggression speaks volumes of the band’s maturity as they are able to interject plenty of atmosphere into the proceedings that balances out the audio beating the listener experiences. The band also benefits from an overall clearer, fuller mix courtesy of Zach Ohren (DECREPIT BIRTH, ALL SHALL PERISH) then on previous releases, allowing the album’s more intricate details to come to the forefront. Majesty and Decay’s greatest strength maybe the overall feeling of dread and doom throughout the album, punctuated by the band’s continuous ominous atmosphere throughout. Perhaps their strongest, most mature effort to date, yet nonetheless as vicious and relentless as when the first unleashed Dawn of Possession on an unsuspecting public so many years ago. It should go without saying, but if you are a fan of quality death metal, you need to pick this up right now. (Nuclear Blast Records)