Defeated Sanity - Chapers of Repugnance (2010)

Full Length, Willowtip Records
2010

My quest and thirst for brutal death metal was reaching its climax somewhere in 2006. Upon suggestion of a close friend, I was given a few burnt CD’s to check out. Mithras, Spawn of Possession, Psychofagist just to name a few…and “Prelude to the Tragedy”. Immediately after listening to the foot stomping riffs and grooves of Horrid Decomposition, I knew this band would be one to keep my eye on for sure. At the time, not many of my peers knew of this unknown German death metal band and just like many bands of this underground death metal genre I was not expecting another full length effort and for the band to disappear because of the lack of enthusiasm towards Defeated Sanity.

Fast forward to early 2007. I kept my ears glued to the ground for a new offering by Defeated Sanity, and was enamored to hear that they would be releasing a new second full length titled “Psalms of the Moribund”. From the decaying bodies on the cover, to the disgusting sounding inhale guttural onslaught brought by Jens Staschel, to the mind blowing assault of technicality of Christian and highlighted by the blasting brilliance of Lille Gruber, I was hooked. Shortly following the release of “Psalms” came a small but very crucial tour with NY’s Copremesis in where I had the pleasure of standing behind Lille’s drum set in a crowded New York City basement while Defeated Sanity ripped through Psalms of the Moribund in full. My respect and love for these Germans grew immensely after their performance. Watching Lille shred through songs like “Stoned then Defiled” and “Engorged With Humilation” in person was captivating and inspiring. The band did not move much from casual head banging and staring at their instruments but the intensity was felt. It is rare when you find a band such as this who can replicate the same feeling as is on their CD’s but they did and they gave the small yet diligent New York crowd something to remember. Unfortunately, touring appeared to be a lot for second guitarist Wolfgang Teske and came to the decision to step down from second guitar duties after their U.S tour and shortly after Defeated Sanity parts ways with Jens. My suspicions from 2006 were coming true and I was disappointed in the decision, but I witnessed them already so I had no real need to feel let down. I eagerly hoped for Defeated Sanity to return because Psalms was too strong of a record to part with.

Suddenly…rumors and hyped circled Defeated Sanity after the 2007 promo was released including rehearsal videos without vocals and many wondered who could step in after the incredible performance by Jens. It seemed like only a dream amongst fellow Defeated Sanity fans but the idea of getting A.J Magana or Matti Way was heavily discussed. Finally, it was announced that A.J Magana of Disgorge fame would be doing vocals on the new Defeated Sanity record and all of the fans’ prayers were answered. Defeated Sanity released the first single from the CD titled “Carnal Deliverance” and it was swallowed whole by the underground. They later released another single titled “Salacious Affinity” from the 07 promo, but amongst listening to :30 sec of the track, I had to stop. I knew something special was on the horizon. However, I was somewhat skeptical of A.J doing the vocals because his performance on the Deprecated and Disgorge records were very different than the Defeated Sanity approach used by Jens but after hearing the first track “Consumed by Repugnance” and viewing the live videos from Mountains of Death, the verdict is in: A.J Magana is back and he’s the absolute perfect fit for Defeated Sanity.

Chapters of Repugnance is the third effort by this trio featuring Magana and this record is crushing. Chapters clocks in at a little over a half hour, but trust me, you will need more than an hour to absorb the intracacies of Defeated Sanity’s music. The album begins in silence with “Introuis” and then fades in, very slowly I might add (I will assume this was done on purpose to make the listener turn up their speakers and then pound the listener to dust), with heavy-as-fuck grooves and the trademark Defeated Sanity technicality remnants of Prelude to the Tragedy. This instrumental track is a prelude (no pun intended) to the rest of the album and its relentless.

“Consumed by Repugnance” starts off with an amazing gravity blast accentuation by Lille on the beginning riff while A.J introduces the mayhem of his vocal chords. The song wastes no time, 15 seconds in the slams are in full effect and A.J puts the dreams of the fans to full fruition. I consider this the best track on the album. In the midst of the breakdown riffs, Lille shows off his jazz influence to the max on this record and mixes it up with the trademark blast beats and blistering tempo changes. Most notably the jazz influence is apparent in the small but very tastefully fitting bass and drum solo around 2:48. The guitars then make their way into the groove in Meshuggah fashion but not before heading the listener back in the dirt and leading into Carnal Deliverance.

“Carnal Deliverance” the single track from the record intertwines the technicality of Prelude and the straightforward slamming style on Psalms. A.J’s vocal patterns are unrelenting, and he has not missed a beat at all. If I was blindfolded and someone told me there was an 8 year difference between Magana’s performance on “Consume the Forsaken” and “Chapters”, I wouldn’t believe you. Whereas I feel Jens fit the band solely based on his vocal tone, A.J surpasses him in vocal delivery and speed. This song mimics the approach on Prelude but the slams still break your face. The highlight of this song would be around the 2:15 min mark until the end. The beginning riff is repeated but slightly different this time, Lille shows off his percussion skills as he follows the bass line and moves to the next single, “Salacious Affinity”. Salacious may be my second favorite track on the CD as the riffs never stop your neck from moving. The song proceeds to blast away, with Lille hitting everything humanly possible behind his drum set. The bass lines on this song are key, and this song seems to be the most technical so far. Pay attention to the small little riff section :45 secs in, as it will repeat at the end. It is by far the best closing riff I’ve heard in quite some time. A.J’s vocal patterns on this song are slightly catchier than on Carnal Deliverance but they are hand in glove perfection. Another favorite riff on this album of mine comes around the 2 min mark, definitely proving they have not abandoned their trademark sound. 3:10 brings another massive break down with technical riff reminiscent of Malignancy and the aforementioned riff that first appears 45 seconds in.

“Engulfed in Excrutiation” brings back memories of “Fatal Self Inflicted Disfigurement” in terms of accessibility. Lille doesn’t cease his gravity blasting powers, and the song grooves into another slam section, it stops and at around :45 seconds in another favorite riff of mine shows itself. Shades of Prelude are once again shown and the highlight of the song is the neck breaker riff at 3 mins. A.J’s vocals shine brightly on this song once more and “Coerced Into Idolatry” begins. Coerced is very reminiscent of Salacious in terms of bass and drum interplay. The slams continue in the same fashion, but on this track Defeated Sanity decide to bring back the jazz influence as was on Consumed around 1:45. From here on out, this song is pure unadulterated chaos. I cannot fathom how Christian could write such twisted technical riffs but it is emphasized the most of this track. A small and very quiet guitar solo is displayed at 3 min mark but not before punishing you and the sounds of humanity dying on “Blissfully Exsanguinated”. This song is the shortest on the album but by far the most unpredictable. Lille’s gravity blast accentuations are genius at the :57 sec mark and proceeds to tear through his kit once again, switching from hi-hat to ride cymbal like cigarette to coffee. I must add that the production is ten times better on this offering than on Psalms. The guitars are significantly clearer but at the same time maintaining the muddiness that was on Psalms. A lot of these riffs under the previous production would have been lost, and I commend Defeated Sanity for realizing that this was the problem with the last record. The reverb on A.J’s vocals and the occasional double tracking gives the riffs such a menacing atmosphere that Jens did not bring. I also feel Jens’ vocals were a tad louder in the mix than A.J’s and at some points Jens’ vocals would overwhelm the riffs. The drums are mixed very well, I feel that the cymbals may be somewhat loud in certain spots but that is not a complaint as they are very needed to hear all the accentuations that Lille does.

“Calculated Barbarity” begins with a fast thrash beat held by Lille, not before blasting away into oblivion. This song is also on the accessible side as Engulfed was containing riffs that would catch the ear of your average brutal death connessieur. This song is the one with the most originality, as I feel the other songs still bear a influence and feeling of the previous records. The break down riffs are plenty with pinch harmonics. The highlight arrangement of this song comes at 1:30, I won’t say what goes on but the riff that Christian plays is very interesting to say the least. “Lurid Assimilation” is the final track of the album and my least favorite. This song from what I believe was written by Wolfgang and was on the 2007 promo. Another guitar solo is introduced at the 1:30 mark, this one being a little longer and better than the solo on Coerced. It is more of the same and the album fades out the way it started, almost the same way Psalms did and as it fades the listener is treated to some superb drum fills by Gruber. Whew!

Before putting Chapters in my CD player, my favorite slam record this year was “Post Abortion Slut Fuck” from Vulvectomy. This album destroys it and everything in its path. For fans who may not be into this technical style, I suggest you listen to this for an example of how playing technical riffs and break downs mesh perfectly. My problem with the record may just be that there are not enough of those technical moments that are on "Blissfully Exsanguinated" or "Calculated Infinity" to go around and a little too many break downs and that's why it is not a perfect ten but do not misinterpret that. I may even say this record with A.J may be better than Consume the Forsaken. For fans of Malignancy, Disgorge (US) and Deeds of Flesh, check this beauty out. I am glad that this band is still putting forth quality brutal death metal and getting the recognition they deserve because this is far from what I expected when I was introduced. This album should be renamed Chapters of Resurgence because it has revitalized my love for underground brutal death metal. If there’s any album to get, get this one. This is a candidate for album of the year if not close. Your neck may never be the same again. You’ve been warned. An encore United States tour is mandatory.

9/10

Wormed - Quasineutrality (2010)

Single, 2010

Pathologically Explicit Records

Ladies and gentlemen, sit back and be prepared for the sonic apocalypse which has incarnated in the form of Quasineutrality - the latest venture by Spanish brutal death metal band Wormed.
Hear it? Yes its W-O-R-M-E-D.

I know that the idea itself sounds as ecstatic as getting a blowjob from Monica Belluci would and one wouldn't just let the sensation cease away easily. The band had kept their loyal fans waiting and gasping for more since 7 long years and most of us had lost any hopes of hearing anything new from them BUT then came 2010 and a miraculous surprise for all of us! Quasineutrality starts off with where Planisphaerium had ended. Taking the trademark Wormed flavour forward, the two new tracks reek highly of a bludgeoning sound which leaves the listener with pure eargasmic satisfaction.

The recruitment of Migueloud was a crucial step for the band's career and his armory provided a new dimension to Wormed's audial devastation. The duo of Miguel/J. Oliver created a spectacular frenzy of off time signature riffs and cosmic acoustic shreds (Uncoloured Plasma Orifices Transported). Miguel's incredible form since Human Mincer's epochal release Degradation Paradox is also clearly evident in the riff structures since the razor sharp tonality and hypnotic transitions are pretty much what were audible in that album. Added to that, there are some occasional slams too which spice up the intensity manifolds.

The mighty Phlegeton has been phenomenal on the vocal job yet again, spewing forth the deep croaked gutturals from the pits of his worm infested esophagus. Its interesting to note that he also took over the percussive duties after the removal of Andy from the line-up and he executed a flavagasting display of his unfathomed talent with extravagant flamboyance. For people who aren't aware of his multi-faceted musical prowess, Phlegeton handles drum duties for bands like Banished from Inferno, Unsane Crisis etc along with doing artwork, mastering and lyrical conceptualization too. This man is really an epitome for true brutal talent!

A ravishing green-oriented color scheme for the album art provides a required feel for the musical theme which surrounds a phenomenal (Physics/Chemistry) called as Plasma ( a gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. The presence of a non-negligible number of charge carriers makes the plasma electrically conductive so that it responds strongly to electromagnetic fields. Getting quite nerdy eh? Nevermind! Hit Wikipedia for more info on this.)
Another noteworthy thing is that amongst  the heavy barrage of riffs and blasts, the sudden inception of those 'robotic' spoken verses and the alien-istic ambiance gives a chilling sci-fi feel to the music. Fans of Star Trek and Death Metal have really a reason to cherish now since they can enjoy both their favorite entities together in a gratifying mixture. So pick up your popcorn and nachos, sit back and get ready for a really enrapturing astral voyage to the depths of the luminous space.

Check out the band at - http://www.myspace.com/wormed


Final Verdict:
9.5/10

Hooded Menace - Never Cross the Dead (2010)

Full Length, Profound Lore Records
2010


With the sudden upsurge of bands playing the old school style of death metal over the years, it's practically difficult to come across bands who really are something worth listening to. Bands whom you can call as fairly genuine and not just another imitation of the older hordes. The mighty Razorback Records has been a sort of hub for most of these neo-old school death bands with constant releases from the abysses of US, Sweden and Finland. The label has given a lot of cherishing audial devastations to the staunch aficianados of the ancient death reign and Hooded Menace is no exception.

The band is no stranger in the death metal underground since their frontman Lasse  has been a formidable part of the Finnish death wagon from the past 2 decades or so. He started off with the underrated death/thrash band Phlegeton in 88 and released a few demos and a compilation album till date. But his fetish for the macabre didn't seem to cease as he has associated himself in a number of old school death metal projects namely Acid Witch, Claws, Vacant Coffin, Shrouded, Hooded Menace etc. He roared back into the scene with élan through the debut CD of Hooded Menace entitled as ''Fulfill the Curse'' which was a gargantuan lesson in true horrific death metal typically fashioned in the 90
s and cult horror sounds-capes influenced by the Blind Dead and other classic horror series. But the recent release ''Never Cross the Dead'' which saw a change in label to Profound Lore Records, is even a step ahead than the first edition in terms of the compositional prowess which the trio unleashes upon the listeners.

Clocking around almost 51 minutes, the album oozes with a sludgy and extravagantly doomy slab of death metal reminiscent of the epochal American and Finnish doom/death sound sauced up with a fairly modern production which actually provides an ominous shrill to the delicious down tuned riffage. Lasse's vocals are something which I find pretty unique and interesting among most of the death metal vocalists. I remember reading a recent interview where he stated that growling isn't really something which he cherishes doing and hence went for a more ''lazy'' and creepier sounding growling tone. But this reluctant laze has certainly been a blessing in disguise for the overall music of the band since the dense growling patterns lay a bizarre and ''zombified'' impact on the listener which can be perfectly related to the style of music they play.

The riffs are pretty lush and crushingly heavy with the grooves reminding of Cianide's A Descent into Hell juxtaposed with subtle melodic leads in vein of more traditional acts like Sabbath and Cathedral. Tracks like ''Never Cross the Dead'', ''Terror Castle'' and ''The House of Hammer'' are dripping with solid Iommi style leads which enhance the heavy demeanor to a great extent.

Pekka's drumming has been pretty minimal and straight forward as per the musical needs and it has just been a necessary support to the musical onslaught. Their obsession with the horrific realms have been again displayed to a good extent with their version of ''Theme from Return of the Evil Dead'' which manages to sound spooky and grotesque enough pretty much like what the original them but with a death metal tinge. A fantastic cover art by Putrid and great lyrics from the Razorback honcho Billy and Lucio provide an added dimension to the tenebrus atmosphere of Never Cross the Dead and makes it a perfect sountrack to listen to on a funeral night by the old cemetary and invoke the embalmed entities infested beneath earth's abyss.

Check out their tunes here - http://www.myspace.com/hoodedmenace




Final Verdict : 8.7/10

Twilight - Monument to Time End

Full-length, Southern Lord
April 27th, 2010

What month is it? April? Seems early to claim that this release would be one of the top 5 releases of the year. But to be honest, the more I hear it, the more I feel this will be right up at the top of the pile come the end of the year.

Twilight is known as a USBM super group with members from the most prominent bands playing for them. The band roster consists of Blake Judd (Nachtmystium), Wrest (Leviathan, Lurker of Chalice), N. Imperial (Kreig), – and new recruits Stavros Giannopolous (The Atlas Moth), Sanford Parker (Minsk, Buried At Sea) and Aaron Turner (Isis, Old Man Gloom). The band released a self titled album in 2005 with members of Nachtmystium, Leviathan, Kreig, Xasthur and Draugar to some rave reviews, only to disband a year later. With no reunion in sight, I was pleasantly surprised when I heard in early 2009 that some members decided to resurrect the band with a modified lineup. And the ‘modifications’ are the main reasons why this release has turned out to be nothing short of a masterpiece.

While the debut was very good, it lacked something. It appeared disconnected and incoherent at times; and that led to its downfall. Thankfully, these hitches have been ironed out in this release and the results are staggering. What we have here is one of the most impressive “dark” black metal albums to be made in a long time. It consists of the best of all of the aforementioned bands: An oppressive atmosphere screaming of despair and anguish, pounding riffs, intense psychedelia and a sick, filthy torturous layer of vocals. The band manages to create a blizzard of emotion and torment without compromising on any of the brute force.

Any inhibitions regarding this release were put to rest after listening to the opening track, ‘The Cryptic Ascension’- the song is descriptive of what the right lineup can do. It starts in a mid tempo pace until around 6 minutes in and it is extremely detailed in its structure. The vocals are tortured screams and are used excellently. Melodic and harmonic, without disrupting the overall atmosphere of the song. This track helps in setting up a perverse vicious mood for the rest of the album.

‘8000 years’ is intense. As the sound explodes from the speakers, you cant help but be smothered by the atmosphere of pure suffering and torment and you will struggle to get out of the state of emotional limbo imposed by the atmosphere. The mood is evil, yet so frantic and beautiful, its hard to escape.

‘Convulsions In Wells Of Fever’ and ‘Decaying Observer’ are similar to the songs in the debut album. They feature the speed and the atmospheric texture of the songs from the debut album. Although they are a lot more experimental, they are the closest to the primal sounding songs in this release.

Probably my favorite song on the album would be the closing track ‘Negative Cell Omega’. It leads to a change of direction, to a mood of depression, hopelessness and despondency. You are transported to a cold harsh place. A place where time stands still. A place where there is no light at the end. A place where there is only one escape –Death.

‘Monument to the End’ is a stunning release. Throughout listening to this album, the listener is made to step into the demented, maniacal realms of madness. It is mesmerizing and powerful. It is devastating and the feeling is of having the soul sucked out of your body as you listen. By the end of it, you are in a state of emotional emptiness. A state where happiness and joy is replaced by nothingness and vacuum. A state of nonexistence and nonbeing.

This release is not for the elitists who scorn experimentation in Black metal. If you approach this with an open mind, you will love this.

9/10

Interview with Matti Way [Disgorge (US), Pathology, Cinerary etc)

Infernal Dominion unleashes an interview with the legendary Matti Way, a charismatic persona without whom it'd be sacrilegious to even think about today's brutal death metal scene. 


Conducted by
Ankit Sinha

ID: Hello Matti, how are you? What are you doing these days?


Matti: Good bro thanks…get ready for the Pathology tours and the release of our new album "Legacy of the Ancients" on Victory records coming July 6th...


ID : Fans of Pathology are stoked to hear about your dramatic comeback after a pretty mysterious exit after ''The Age of Onset. Would you throw some light on the phenomenon’s responsible for those events?

Matti: Really nothing exciting to tell…Iam moving back down south with a lot more time available for music…Dave hit me up and asked me to come back and after hearing the new material I was in, and I brought Diego with me too...

ID : What are the current projects which you are working on?

Matti: Pathology, To Violently Vomit & Obscured Secretions…

ID :You achieved a cult status ever since Cranial Impalement saw the light of day back in the mid 90's with your disgusting and innovative gurgling vocal style. It was almost unbelievable to accept the fact that there weren't any vocal effects used to enhance those gutturals. How did you achieve such kind of a vocal tone and what was the inspiration behind it? And do you use any kind of drinks  to keep your throats in good shape?

Matti: I don't really use any drinks…And inspiration wise Carcass Symphonies of Sickness, Broken Hope & Cannibal Corpse all were something I was really into and I just kept going to try and take it to another level

ID: The Disgorge camp later recruited vocalists like AJ and Levi who did a great job in carrying forth the guttural mayhem which you made as a trademark for the band but I still think that the peak days for Disgorge were with your vocal services. So I was always curious to know as to what reasons were behind your departure?

Matti: Thank you for the kind words…We were touring a lot and I just wasn't able to keep up with my bills and responsibilities at home to make it work…

ID: What thought process do you undergo before recording an album? 

Matti: I  always have a concept and write all the lyrics around that subject matter...

ID: What is the news with Cinerary? Is the band still active?

Matti: We are currently in the process of writing another album now...

ID: It was pretty appalling to know the untimely demise of Infantiphagia. I had a lot of expectations after hearing the 3 track promo which kicked ass! What reasons were behind the dissolving of that band?

Matti: All the guys moved to different places and just didn't want to do it anymore…Dain and Alexandre remain very close friends of mine so who knows what the future might hold...

ID: Disgorge is revered as the band which revolutionized the modern guttural brutal death metal scene and has got countless admirers and musicians who idolize your music but there are also some puritans who detest this ''trend'' altogether and condemn it as nonsense. What are your views on this criticism?

Matti: People tend to criticize anything they don't understand…Just because they don't like it doesn't mean its not good…Almost all music is created from inspiration(trends), to me we've touched people in a positive way to give them inspiration to write music…

Iam truly thankful for the countless fans and bands that support us, without them this music is nothing...

ID: Which vocalists inspired you the most and made you recreate the monstrous rumble in an extravagantly vile manner?

Matti: Bill Steer , Joe Ptacek & Ross Dolan

ID: Have you ever visited India? Any thoughts about doing a gig here?

Matti: I have never been there but would be honored to play some shows down there…Hopefully that will happen…

ID: What other types of music do you like to hear apart from death metal?

Matti: Classical & old jazz mostly...

ID: Who would be your favourite vocalist/vocalists from the current BDM underground?

Matti: Konni - Despondency, Corey - Flesh Consumed, A.J - Defeated Sanity, Angel - Condemned, Obie - Inherit Disease, Mike - Devournment...

ID: Five bands/albums which you have been listening to lately?

Matti: Inherit Disease, Flesh Consumed, Condemned, Slaughterbox & Despondency...

ID: Well, thanks a lot for spending your precious time to answer this questionnaire. It was a great honor for me to have your interview for my petty blog. Cheers and best of luck for the future!

Matti: Thank you very much and it was a honor for me as well…And thanks to all the fans that keep this great scene alive…Thank you..

Indesinence - Noctambulism (2006)

Full Length, Goat of Mendes Records

2006

Noctambulism is the Ist full length by British death/doom ensemble Indesinence. The band started off during late 2001 with mutual influences ranging from old school thrash, black, doom, heavy and European style death metal along with ambient music. With a common aim to spew out some of the most uncompromising extreme metal from UK, they released their first release ''Ecstatic Lethargy'', a demo CD in 2003 and later an EP entitled as ''Neptunian'' in 2006. The very same year, ''Noctambulism'' saw the light of day and took the UK underground with storm. Raging like a vile beast, the album architectures  somber scenarios for over an hour and extinguishes the burning flames of sanity with its cold and morbid ecstacy. 

Featuring some of the best death/doom symphonies you'd ever hear during this decade, this record is a straight-forward Evoken and diSEMBOWELMENT worship and yet it greatly manages to be not just another shameless ''clone'' but instead. a very intelligent and inspiring collection of cacophonous dark rhythms. The amount of heaviness which it boasts off is awe-inspiring with insane riffs, blasting straight off on your ears and giving no room to recover from their menacing onslaught. What really intrigues me is an avid usage of darkened acoustic riffs which flow beautifully along with the abysmally heavy rhythms which adds a subtle dimensionality to the overall musical feel. Juxtapositioned with an enduring vocal and percussive devastation and a sharp and crispy production, it comes out to be an overwhelming listening experience. An experience which would rape your happiness and drown you in surreal state of melancholy which would continue to haunt you forever and ever! 

So If you like your doom criminally underrated and uncompromisingly heavy, Noctambulism would be just the perfect erotic pleasure for your ears. 

8.5/10

Immolation - Majesty and Decay (2010)

Full Length, Nuclear Blast Records
2010



Immolation, the unholy messiahs of death metal have returned with their 8th studio full length album which is christened as ''Majesty and Decay''. A change in label from Listenable Records to Nuclear Blast Records has certainly reaped good benefits for the band as there have been some innovations in the way the band used to write their music. The first major thing would be a pre-production which has been attempted by Immolation for the first time and secondly, covering a brief yet intimate footage of the song writing and recording procedure for all the die-hard fans like me to have a proper insight into the bestial ideas behind those staggeringly dark sounds. The recording took place at the Milbrook Recording Studios handled  by long time producer Paul Orofino and later mixed and mastered by Zack Ohren of Castle Ultimate Studios. These two gentlemen have played a pivotal role in giving shape to this abominable beast which was being nurtered in the respective wombs of their studios.
A zealous graphical output by the talented Par Olofsson has given a perfect imagery which the band really required for the new album. The artwork was really a breather for me and certainly par above than whatever the band had after Failures of Gods. Though I wish that they come back with the old logo which might be the wickedest ever created!

Now, after all the teasers, its finally time to do the ultimate revelation. So hold your hearts and numb your brains to await for the rupture which this evil progeny is going to cast upon your mortal figurines! Its something which is exclusively offered by Immolation, a macabre dosage of everything baleful and impious.

Ever since they shook the death metal underground with their cult debut Dawn of Possession, they haven't left any stone unturned in adding numerous feathers to their caps after each passing album and this one is no exception. I'd say that their previous installment, ''Shadows in the Light'' had a little ''accessible'' sound as compared to their earlier masterpieces but was yet able to create ghoulish scenarios with some aggresive song writing although the production had played spoilsport. But they have dutifully overcome these minor flaws on the newer album. It was pretty surprising to see an intro and an interlude being included with the album, something which hasn't been done ever by Immolation, but I later understood the purpose behind after giving it enough listens and I am sharing the same impressions which I perceived throughout the epic voyage.

After popping in the CD into my player, a shortlived yet effective intro welcomed me to the carnage which was about to follow and I got its first impression as soon as ''The Purge'' started. A sinister riff kick-started the proceedings to be followed by Ross' bowel churning growls and an epochal breakdown made my room tremble violently.
The rest of the track continued in a royal fashion, intertwined perfectly with dilligent instrumental ecstacy. Moments after I realized the amount of destruction the opening track had caused, I was exposed to the fury of ''A Token of Malice'', the opening lead of which left me chewing my nails with an extravagant jolt. Despite of being a shorter track, it left a deep seismic effect which would have easily shook the richter scale with its sheer ferocity. My already squashed brain began to ponder in a deep thought about this nefarious onslaught and the necessary light was provided by the upcoming tremors from the title track itself. Its grand opening was pretty similar to the raging cacophonies which follow an omniscient battle, a battle to remove the most despicable entity - mankind.

Very soon, I began to visualize this as a a catastrophe. Vigna and Taylor all prepared to tremble the earth with their sharpened axes and swords, Shalaty ready to tear apart the ears of the enemy with his menacing beats and Dolan leading the pack with his fiendish guttural roars warning the masses to stay prepared for tremendous annihilation. A few seconds after I had attained 'nirvana', 'Divine Code'' blasted off my senses and carried forth the battle wagon in a pretty similar fashion to its predecessor and unleashed a venomous contempt which ultimately left the throat of mankind pierced with the daggers of tyranny.
''A Glorious Epoch'' seemed ike a brutal ballad describing the glorious conquests and the suppression of betrayal after which the war march took  a brief pause with the ''Interlude'' after immense ruination but still creeped my ears with the bells of impending doom. ''A Thunderous Consquence'' began  with panache, reminding me  of the ancient rhythmistic slaying of Incantation, Immolation's brothers in blasphemy and malice. I was astounded to learn that the warriors still managed an inhumane hold on their weapons, not letting them go off control even for a single moment and hence creating a blissful flurry of sonic onslaughts which cuts through the lands and took control with might.

This bizarre devastation lead to a horrendous end and creating ''A Rapture of Ghosts''. Starvation, decay and merciless beatings dance around the endless shadows and rotting grandeur of humanity. ''Power and Shame'' and ''The Comfort of Cowards'' were pretty much like the testimonies of the failure of the majesty of the highest decree and announced that his glorious days were now about to end as the blinded masses would now fight free of possession or else die an inevitable death. And then, this compelling saga finally came to a dramatic end which paved way for an excruciating silence. A silence which was more disturbing than the cacophonies which had earlier slammed the veins of my sanity.

But this doesn't mean that the war has ceased. This sempiternal rage is a neverending havoc which would return to life once again as our illustrious warriors would raise their arms to envelop the world under the shadows of darkness and despair.

Till then, stay enraptured by this aural blitzkrieg and await for more such onslaughts to follow.


Final Rating - 9.5/10