Immolation – Descent Review

[Cover art by Eliran Kantor]

What exactly do we expect from Immolation at this stage of their career? This is a band whose legacy was set in stone decades ago by their impeccable early run of albums; I’m of the opinion that their first five records are as good a run as any death metal band has ever put out. Ever. But they’ve long since been a very high quality veteran act, no longer innovating but also refusing to release a bad song. Sometimes, as with the last couple records, they achieve a little late career bump in quality, sounding a bit more inspired and ferocious than your usual veteran act. And at other times, such as on new record Descent, things feel a little more, well, not exactly phoned in, but definitely a little more formulaic.

Because of this, one word that keeps coming to mind when spinning Descent is predictable. Before you assume that is meant only as derogatory, know that it’s partly complimentary: Descent is a predictably very strong death metal record, as you’d expect from Immolation. However, never before has it seemed more possible to know where each song is headed, what beats are coming next, or when a churning death metal verse is about to be traded off for one of the bands twitch-a-thons.

Part of that is due to the sheer volume of Immolation music we have now – Descent is album number 12 – but part of that is due to the material within. Whereas both Atonement and Acts of God had at least a little bit of distinction about them, particularly for a band so experienced, Descent almost feels paint-by-numbers Immolation. Again, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as Immolation is painting with some of the raddest numbers in death metal, but you’ve definitely heard all these numbers before. The closing title track, for example, might be the best tune here, but much of the way it progresses calls back to certain songs from Unholy Cult. A pretty great place to mine, for sure, but experienced Immolation listeners will find moments like that throughout the record.

Of course, that could almost be said about every Immolation album going back to Harnessing Ruin (the first inessential but still quite good Immolation record), so the fans that have stuck around are obviously going to find plenty of fun within this latest offering. And like all of the albums of this period, the band remains absolutely beastly in sound. Ross Dolan still has more conviction in his vocal delivery than nearly all of his peers and Rob Vigna is still one of death metal’s greatest riffsmen and underrated lead players, helping to guide the narrative of each song with his solos as much as Dolan does with his words.

Immolation clearly meant to use their still-monstrous sound to make a more direct, universally aggressive record with Descent than they did with the expansive and (very relatively) melodic Acts of God, and to that end they’ve succeeded. Descent is certainly more direct (and 10 minutes shorter) than its predecessor, and certain songs emphasize brutality over just about everything else. “Adversary” isn’t even three and a half minutes long, and spends its entirety pummeling the listener, right down to its dominant finish; “Bend Towards the Dark,” meanwhile, blasts its way into existence but shows a touch more dynamics during the midpaced chorus and vicious build towards its climax; and the ensuing “Host” is among the most restrained songs on the record, layering melodic lines with blasts and featuring a particularly great Vigna solo (also, that’s either a guest spot, or Dolan introduced a high-pitched screech for the first time in his career). Again, this is a very good collection of songs, it’s just not a very original set of songs.

Overall, Descent probably compares most closely to Kingdom of Conspiracy in its more efficient form of violence, but also in the impression that it’s more a collection of songs than a cohesive album. Unfortunately, Steve Shalaty’s drums also sound like they did on that album: up in the mix and somewhat plastic. Not a deal breaker by any means, just a mystery that a band that has worked with the same producer (Paul Orofino) for decades can’t find a more consistent drum tone. Even with this slight downside, Descent still sounds like it wants to hurt you, a trait achieved by everything else sounding positively massive.

The dilemma for anyone writing about this record (or deciding whether or not to shell out cash for it), is deciding how much Immolation’s stratospheric pedigree as one of death metal’s all-time greats outweighs the impression that things might be a little formulaic. Ultimately, your need for this record is really based on what you expect from Immolation at this stage. If you love this band and have continued to love this band, buy this record. If you’re a little more emotionally tied to the early stuff, Descent might not be on your list of essentials for 2026.