Close to a POLL below - the inevitable overdue IMMOLATION albums poll

For a long time the only metal I listened to was black metal, death metal just wasn't for me. Immolation is one of the first bands, maybe the first actually, that made me go 'wait a minute...'. I'll have to listen to the pre-2000 albums before I can feel qualified for voting.

Not listened to anything post-2000 but Dawn of Possession was pretty foundational for me anyway, so will have to go for that.

I really think "Unholy Cult" might be their second best song ever.

and it contains this thing they did on this album and few others where they'd play a riff pattern multiple times and each repetition would add a new piece on top, then reverse it and take a piece off one at a time

holy fuck, they're playing "Once Ordained" on this tour. the first song of theirs I ever heard/liked.

and "HIgher Coward" from Close to a World Below. wowowow

I've only heard Dawn of Possession which I like but have just downloaded Here In After in honour of this poll

I imagine it confused a bunch of fans at the time. Very much a transitional album..., five years after Dawn. though a good one.

I'm leaning towards Unholy Cult now. never was my favorite at the time, but the writing on this thing is immaculate, the drumming and drum production very organic (it'd get as sterile-y produced as all metal would eventually by next album).

vocals also breathe well, they're processed much more nowadays and it dampens Ross's roar. none of which to say I don't like new Immolation as they haven't made a bad album IMO

weirdly I think the latest one from last year is my least favorite. it isn't 'bad', but comparing it side by side with Atonement, Atonement just has a lot more ideas going on, melodically. Acts of God runs out of steam after the first few tracks

Cannibal Corpse are sort of in the same position IMO - the new album is good, but a clear step down from the one before.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Their songwriting can be a bit dense and muddy and difficult to follow, but when they have ideas, guitars especially, they shine bright and come out clear. Overall I quite enjoy them. I relistened to The Unholy Cult and Here in After and I think my vote is still CTAWB by default because of its superior consistency.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Thought this was the Elon Musk thread for a second.

voted Dawn due to peak faves like Those Left Behind and After My Prayers, but if I had to recommend one album it would be Close To A World Below, where they created the sound of hellfire

People who like Immolation should check out Phobocosm. They put out a new album this week, so I bought their whole discography, and they really have a grip on the whole morose death-doom thing.

https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/foreordained