Immolation

Forged in Yonkers’ extreme scene in the state of New York, Immolation has stood since the mid-1980s as a fixture of some of the darkest death metal. Formed in 1986 under the name Rigor Mortis and renamed Immolation in 1988, the band released several demos before issuing Dawn of Possession in 1991, which marked their international breakthrough. The trajectory continued with Here in After in 1996, followed by a sequence of albums—Failures for Gods (1999), Close to a World Below (2000) and Unholy Cult (2002)—that established a sound characterized by dissonant riffs, complex song structures and often ponderous tempos. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Immolation toured extensively across North America, Europe and South America while refining their approach on records such as Majesty and Decay (2010), Kingdom of Conspiracy (2013) and Atonement (2017). Acts of God, released in 2022, extends this evolution by combining oppressive atmospheres, detailed rhythmic work and contrasts between density and slower interludes. The core of Immolation rests on vocalist/bassist Ross Dolan and guitarist Robert Vigna, now joined by Alex Bouks on guitar and Steve Shalaty on drums. Immolation’s lyrics recurrently address religion, political violence and the collapse of power structures, reinforcing the identity of a band committed to a dark, critical and often apocalyptic aesthetic.