By Aryan Nawim

 

Immolation has always been considered one of the major players in the death metal scene since their 1991 Roadrunner debut release, Dawn of Possession. Dancing around with different labels, Immolation’s eighth studio release, Majesty and Decay, marks their first with Nuclear Blast, giving the New York death metal machine the production value they deserve showcasing brilliantly mapped out drumming patterns, growling vocals, and squealing pinch harmonics.

Majesty and Decay does a good job of shifting song tempos throughout the album, providing a good balance of speedy calculated technicality with slower, more powerful songs. This awesome contrast in speed and songwriting helps keep the album flow and makes listening to the album from start to finish less difficult. Songs such as The Purge and A Token of Malice supply the force and speed one would commonly expect from Immolation, highlighted by complexity in both the drum work and guitar handling meshing well together with unbelievable time signatures precisely demonstrating Immolation’s experience and valor to the genre.

 

Contrasting amazingly are songs such as the title track and A Glorious Epoch, both of which bring the same intensity brought forth by the faster tracks but exhibit songwriting ability that other death metal counterparts would kill to possess. Placing these tracks tactically in between the faster songs gives this album the dynamic and lively sound helping maintain interest throughout listening this work in its entirety.

The production value on this album masterfully points out what Immolation has been doing for over twenty years. Positioning themselves as death metal heavyweights in years past with staple releases, Immolation is bound to stay a top the chiefdom with this release as it’s a flawless piece characterizing another iconic effort to be added to a catalogue of immense prestige.