One of the United States' most influential death metal group's,
Immolation formed in Yonkers, New York in 1986, and alongside fellow N.Y.C.-area extreme metal agitators
Incantation,
Mortician, and
Suffocation, quickly rose to the fore of the scene. Led by guitarist
Robert Vigna and vocalist/bassist
Ross Dolan -- the band's sole constant members --
Immolation has racked up a string of acclaimed efforts, including
Dawn of Possession (1991),
Close to a World Below (2000),
Unholy Cult (2002), and
Atonement (2010), that skillfully balance raw power with technical prowess. The band issued their 11th studio LP,
Acts of God, in 2022.
Originally dubbed Rigor Mortis, the group first comprised singer/bassist
Ross Dolan, guitarists
Robert Vigna and Thomas Wilkinson, and drummer Craig Smilowski. After a series of well-received demos,
Immolation signed to Roadrunner in 1991 to issue their debut album,
Dawn of Possession; a five-year gap (and a move to Metal Blade) preceded the follow-up
Here in After. With new drummer Alex Hernandez, the band resurfaced in 1999 with
Failure for Gods. The celebrated
Close to a World Below was issued a year later, but it would be the band's last outing for Metal Blade. They inked a deal with French independent label Listenable Records in 2001, which issued a string of well-received outings including
Unholy Cult,
Harnessing Ruin, and
Shadows in the Light, the latter two introduced new drummer Steve Shalaty. 2010's
Majesty and Decay was the band's first outing for
Nuclear Blast, and 2013's Orwellian
Kingdom of Conspiracy saw them unleash their first concept album. In 2017,
Immolation released their tenth studio long-player,
Atonement, which received near-universal acclaim. Five years later, the band returned with the uncompromising
Acts of God, which further refined their signature blend of old and new school death metal. ~ Jason Ankeny