Immolation

Immolation is a death metal band from Yonkers, New York.

History

They were formed in May 1986 by Andrew Sakowicz (bass guitar, vocals) and Dave Wilkinson (drums) as Rigor Mortis (NY). The name was changed to Immolation in April 1988, after the Warriors of Doom demo which was recorded as Rigor Mortis and Demo I which was recorded as Immolation. The band got a record deal with Roadrunner Records and released their debut album Dawn of Possession through them. They were dropped by the label when the label controversially dropped nearly all of their death metal bands. Later, they were picked up by Metal Blade Records and released the three succeeding albums through them. After the second one Here in After, drummer Craig Smilowski left the band and was replaced by Alex Hernandez. The most recent two albums were released by French label Listenable Records, the same label which released an album by Hernandez's previous band Fallen Christ years before. In May 2001, the band were the headliners for a tour in Europe with supporting bands: Deranged, Deströyer 666, Decapitated and Soul Demise.
Unholy Cult saw the departure of guitarist Thomas Wilkinson and the installation of ex-Angelcorpse guitarist Bill Taylor. Steve Shalaty replaced Hernandez on Harnessing Ruin. In February 2008, Immolation toured the US alongside bands such as Rotting Christ, Belphegor and Averse Sefira. As of 2009, the band entered Millbrook Sounds Studios with longtime producer and friend Paul Orofino to record the upcoming album to be released through Nuclear Blast. During January and February 2010, Immolation will tour with headliner Nile along with Krisiun, Rose Funeral, and Dreaming Dead.

Musical style and lyrical themes

Immolation relies on riffs written in dissonant harmonic patterns, often dueling between the two guitars, to progress songs, typically over complex rhythm and drum patterns. Drum parts are often written to follow the guitar riffs in a way that is unusual for most death metal. They and fellow New York death metal band, Incantation, helped bring the New York death metal scene to the attention of the underground.
Robert Vigna has been the band's only constant guitarist and is also the only constant member throughout the band's history along with vocalist/bassist Ross Dolan. Robert Vigna is considered to be one of the most talented death metal guitarists and is well known for his complex riffing and wailing solos.
Their lyrics are almost entirely anti-religion, especially Anti-Christianity. On the band's 2005 album, Harnessing Ruin, there are more lyrics touching on other subjects such as politics. This lyrical direction is further explored on the band's 2007 album, Shadows in the Light and the EP Hope and Horror, which preceded the album. On later albums, the lyrics are considerably less explicit.