Customer Reviews

Shadows in the Light

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After getting a little experimental with 2005's "Harnessing Ruin," Immolation storm back onto the scene two years later with the seventh full length release of their career, this year's "Shadows in the Light." Immolation seemingly had just two goals in mind when they wrote this album: focused, straightforward, compact songwriting (almost all of the songs stay in the neighborhood of three to four minutes), and furious, devastating brutality. As a result, this iconic New York quartet have never sounded this hungry, aggressive, or crushing.

In fact, truth be told, Immolation have always been a death metal band, but "Shadows in the Light" really leans more towards the grindcore side of the line. It also boasts an abnormally long ten tracks (opposed to the band's usual eight or nine). But those two things aside, every classic Immolation hallmark trait is in place on here, including abrasive, tractor-sized riffs, unorthodox soloing, free-flowing, blasting drum beats, bludgeoning rhythms, and guttural, commanding vocals.

Even though the album has a somewhat brief running time, nobody should be left feeling shortchanged after listening to it, because man, Immolation sure cram a ton into these forty minutes! Plus, it may be the heaviest release of their career thus far, but they never forget to slip in plenty of nifty, catchy hooks, and they also incorporate just enough melody (usually through the frequent use of lead axeman Robert Vigna's wailing, harmonic solos) that the songs need to be memorable and avoid monotony.

Opener "Hate's Plague" and "Tarnished" are just two of the numerous incredibly tightly-knit, punishing, and mean bruisers to be found on here, and overflow with driving, incessantly pummeling blast beats, bulldozing guitar leads, and almost demonic vocals. "Passion Kill," will surely soon be a set staple in Immolation's live show. This doom-laden piece boasts blistering riffs, solo, and a really catchy chorus (where frontman Ross Dolan evilly growls out sinister lines like "God will punish you/God will torture you") which will instantly get tattooed to your brain.

"The Weight of Devolution" and the title cut mix things up a bit by opting for a moderately paced tempos and surprisingly groovy rhythms (plus, the former also features excellent, wailing solos, and the latter has strategically placed, crashing high-hats). But later songs, like "Breathing the Dark," "Deliverer of Evil," and the jackhammering "Lying with Demons" are positively devastating, and more than make up for those two moments of somewhat restrained heaviness. Lastly of note are the tremolo picked melodies in the Eastern-tinged set closer, "Whispering Death."

Immolation have a sixteen-plus year under their belts so far, and even though they have been through several different record labels and band members over the years, they show absolutely no sign of aging or inconsistency. "SITL" is a terrifically strong and satisfying record which proves that this band is still at the top of their game, and is still going to be around for many more years to come.

I have to start by admitting that Immolation is one of my favorite bands: not for what they are, but for what they could be. If you listen closely to Shadows in the Light and its predecessor, Harnessing Ruin, you will find complex structures, memorable riffs, and Death Metal that is approaching a state of sophistication that other bands are not reaching.

The biggest negative Immolation is facing is their studio recording, production, and mixing. Oh, what I'd give to hear a Tue Madsen produced Immolation CD! Shadows in the light is slightly less muted and muddied than Harnessing Ruin, which is a plus. However, when you listen to Behemoth's Demigod or Kataklysm's latest, you will understand this point. Immolation just needs technical expertise to truly blast the world with superior DM.

I rated Shadows in the Light at 4 stars because of the production values. I rate Immolation as a band at 5.

Another Immolation masterpiece. Hypnotizing melodies, powerful vocals and dark lyrics, exactly what I love about Immolation. As much as I loved this album, I didn't feel musical evolution.

I noticed throughout this album's lyrics that Jesus was hardly the subject matter. they've separated themselves from Deicide on this album and are walking on their own path. aside from attacking Jesus, Immolation has excellent musicianship. the solos are killer, as no metal band should be without them.

The first time I heard Immolation, Close to a World Below, I thought it was horrible. I can't remember then what I didn't like, as I've grown to absolutely love them over the course of the years, but something didn't seem right, probably the vocals.

So, a while later I gave them another run, I think Failures For Gods, and I almost sprayed poo all over my undergarments. After that I was a convert to the church of the New York Death Metal masters (well, second to Suffocation, who were almost toppled after the release of the horrible Souls to Deny) Immolation.

The thing about the vocals that I love so much, I'm sure I'm not alone, is that they're death metal vocals, no doubt about it, but but you can understand every single world that's uttered; amazing.

So, when Shadows in the Light was leaked I checked it out; I was disappointed, not by the music itself, but the quality of the recording, but I kept in mind "it's the leaked version, the actualy CD will be light years better." So, with that in mind, yesterday, along with the new Bjork and Elliott Smith albums, I picked up Shadows in Light.

I listened to a few tracks on the ride home & loved what I heard, and sitting here now listening it's like an old friend who you're so familiar with coming to visit after a long hiatus, 2 years in this case.

Everything is the same, more or less, but this is by no means a bad thing; Immolation are a band who've crafted their sound to an absolutely flawless perfection. The solos are amazing, the drums are pummeling, relentless, as always, and the bass, whose sound I've always been a great admirer of, is as fantastic as ever.

If you're looking for some supreme, intelligent might I add - sure, they're an anti-christian band but they're not a parody of themselves like Deicide & Vital Remains, death metal pick up what's most likely to be THE best death metal album of 2007; Shadows in Light.

Shadows In The Light is perhaps Immolation's most raw and immediate recording to date, while not quite on par with previous classic albums like Harnessing Ruin or Dawn Of Possession it is however a step in the right direction for this death metal group from New York. Yes the production is a bit murky but its not as bad as the previous reviewer below me said, the album has some sinister harmonies and staccato riffing which sounds different from other death metal groups and Robert Vig is such a brilliant guitar player. There are some great songs in this like Passion Kill which I think is quite catchy and The weight of devotion has some very nice wailing guitar riffs throughout while Lying with demons has a nice melody which sounds ferocious and devastating as well as Whispering death being a great final track and Deliverer of evil being the best song on the album this will definitely make you head bang, even though this album needed to be listened to several times in order to pick up the small details and great musicianship that this band possess I still thought it was great and I was not disappointed by this album.

Immolation's last platter, "Harnessing Ruin", was a fantastic modern death metal album with lasting appeal, a great, thick production, and enough variety, experimentation, and sharp songwriting skill to keep you coming back over and over again, setting a high bar and higher expectations for the next release. Unfortunately, "Shadows In The Light" seems like a misstep.

Suffering from a poor production, somewhat uninspired riffing and songwriting, and an over "flat", somewhat boring vibe, this album was certainly a letdown after their last effort, which I thought was absolutely fantastic. Still a decent album in the genre, it just feels to me like they are simply going through the motions. That, + lackluster production values, = a forgettable metal album.

After a detour into confusion on "Harnessing Ruin," which found Immolation wondering if they should become nu-metal/metalcore or keep on the death metal path, the band has decided to stay true to its roots. This makes sense, since progression in style is never progression: you either get better at what you do and the uninformed call it "progression," or you sell out and do something "unique" and call it progression to swindle the uninformed. Immolation has done neither.

Their style matured on "Unholy Cult" and they have now returned to this form, admitted with production that sounds a bit too "heavy metal" and not enough "death metal" in that it neglects the low end and is too polished, clean to capture the timbres essential to this music. "Shadows in the Light" however is a churning mass of seething conflict, and shows these artists reconnecting to what they love in death metal and the issues they believe determine life and death for modern humanity.

While the band still has yet to give direction to its general topic matter, they are exploring it in depth and show signs of finding a path through the morass of hatred toward a channel for that rage, and in producing quality death metal, that is essential. Among the empty releases of the last five years, this is a standout that should serve as an example for all aspiring metal fans and bands.