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11 years after the release of their last album Might & Magic, German ensemble Iron Kobra are now ready to return with the next one. Entitled Eternal Dagger, it will land in stores on June 19th 2026 via Dying Victims Productions. Recorded and mixed by Stefan Castevet. Mastered by Patrick W. Engel. For a preview, give a listen to the first streaming single “Trembling Dungeons”.
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These songs reinforce the Prince of Darkness' legacy and knack for reinvention. Continue reading…

Just a few days after Charlotte Wessels and her band, The Obsession, have returned from their biggest tour to date—joining Epica and Amaranthe on the Arcane Dimensions Tour and performing in arena-sized venues across Europe—the Dutch singer, songwriter, and producer shares the next highlight of her remarkable career: Charlotte Wessels will take The Obsession on their first […]

The post Charlotte Wessels’ The Obsession Announces 2027 EU + UK Headliner Tour appeared first on ROCKPOSER DOT COM.

Ferocious post-deathcore act BURIAL PATH present their latest single “A Display of Penance”. The unfaltering brutality of this shadowy offering sees the band present a haunting sonic display of enduring struggles with mental illness. 

Watch “A Display of Penance HERE: https://youtu.be/3jvjaW5fzng

An introspective and raw track, lyrically “A Display of Penance” draws upon parasitic imagery to illustrate the ongoing and often repeating nature of depression. BURIAL PATH craft an eerie atmosphere that bleeds through the single’s crushing instrumental arrangement. 

Vocalist Maya Pobst shares, “‘A Display of Penance’ is a song about mental health and how it can latch on like a psychological parasite. Most of the song is from the parasite’s perspective, finding its new victim to latch onto and corrupt from the inside.” Pobst continues, “Over time, the host almost finds comfort in the familiarity of the Parasite despite the great deal of pain it’s causing. As we move into the interlude and verse 2, the host has decided to fight back against its mental oppressor and seeks to destroy it, only for it to eventually come back and be ever so present by the end of the song. To me this represents the cyclic journey of dealing with mental illness and experiencing the periods of mania versus depression.” 

In “A Display of Penance,” BURIAL PATH deliver a monstrous onslaught comprised of intense, thundering percussion, violent rhythms and Pobst’s monstrous gutturals. Injecting melodic orchestral strings and ghostly piano notes, the band ventures further into the otherworldly as it enhances the enveloping darkness. 

Encompassed in ritualistic symbolism of decay, the accompanying music video brings to life the disturbing figure of the parasite along with the harrowing pain and solitude it represents. 

About BURIAL PATH:

Formed in 2023, BURIAL PATH consists of Maya Pobst (vocals) and Christian Caringer (bassist) from Missouri, and Nebraskan Matthew McClure (guitar).  Their sound is a refined evolution of Deathcore, leveraging modern production to craft an atmosphere that is both entrancing and resonant, designed to evoke deep emotions and provoke thoughtful introspection through their music.

Connect with BURIAL PATH:

• Bandcamp
• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Spotify
• Apple Music
• TikTok

Source: C Squared Music

Just under a week after the release of Engines Of Demolition, Zakk Wylde’s most emotional and powerful album yet, Black Label Society brought the tour of the same name to Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Casino for a show that will not be forgotten any time soon. Opening the night was Dark Chapel, followed by Zakk Sabbath.

Black Label Society – Zakk Sabbath – Dark Chapel

Mohegan Sun Casino – 2 April 2026

Words And Photography: Jody Wilk

The Arena at Mohegan Sun is a popular venue in Uncasville for rock bands to play and holds 10,000 concert fanatics. According to Zakk Wylde, in an interview with local radio station 99.1 WPLR, he said we could expect a “toe-tapping event”.

Dark Chapel

Dario Lorino, the man behind Dark Chapel, is also a crazy, talented guitarist for Black Label Society. Dark Chapel hit the stage as the fans were still filling in.

With Dario on lead vocals and slaying the guitar, they showcased music from their album Spirit In The Glass, the deluxe version of which includes three additional songs beyond the original release.

The band features Dylan Dyce on guitar, Mike Gunn on Bass, and madman Luis Silva on drums. With the crowd on their feet, Dark Chapel aced a six-song set, beginning with Afterglow and Hollow Smile and rocking right into Sign Of Life and Hit Your Love, both of which were released last October.

Next, they rocked the stage with a cover of Bill Wither’s Ain’t No Sunshine. These guys worked up a sweat for the crowd with a Heavy Metal set that at times has some bluesy roots.

They were a perfect pick to open the night with their melodic riffs and thunderous drums. Dark Chapel are sure to be gaining more and more followers after each show. 

Zakk Sabbath

If you love searing, melt-your-face-off guitar leads and have never experienced Zakk Wylde’s Zakk Sabbath show, then you were in for a treat.

Zakk, along with Dario Lorino, who is doing triple duty on this tour, have taken Black Sabbath songs and rearranged them to include lots more guitar madness for your listening pleasure.

Here is where I would normally say they played a short five-song set. However, these five songs lasted for a total of 40 minutes.

Black Label’s bad ass drummer, Jeff Fabb, was also on drums for Zakk Sabbath and does so with the strength of a rabid monkey, as well as BLS’s John ‘J.D.’ DeServio pounding out every bass note with perfection. 

They kicked off the set with Black Sabbath’s Children Of The Grave and kept the hardcore berserkers singing along and then cheering between songs.

If you have ever attended a Zakk Wylde show, you know to expect him to be dressed in a kilt with his long hair flailing from side to side, and tonight was no exception.

For us photographers, it is a challenge to capture a clear photo of his face. Zakk doesn’t try to replicate Ozzy’s vocals but rather makes it his own.

The rest of the set included Snowblind, Fairies Wear Boots, N.I.B., and ended the sensory overload with War Pigs. Epic and most certainly toe-tapping.

Black Label Society

This is the part of the show that The Connecticut Chapter of Black Label Society was waiting for, The Engines Of Demolition Tour, and the anticipation of the new Ozzy tribute song that would be played during the set.

Shortly after 9:30 pm, the curtain dropped, and Zakk was on his riser at the centre of the stage playing the unmistakable intro to Funeral Bell.

The crowd was bobbing their heads to the repetitive riff coming from Zakk’s new Wrath Maker Wylde Audio guitar with the Engines Of Demolition logo on it.

What a bad ass logo it is. It is an orange chrome skull with a turbo and exhaust for its ears and pistons coming out of the top of its head. I just had to buy a t-shirt with the new logo on it. 

Name In Blood was the first song played from the new album, followed by Destroy And Conquer from the recent Doom Crew Inc. album.

The cheers at the beginning of No More Tears, the only cover song of the night, were deafening.

Next up were the band intros, to which Zakk was goofing with the crowd, saying after he introduced each member how they did not like anybody from Connecticut, and then saying that it was all right, “because I love everyone from Connecticut.”

Wylde introduced drummer Jeff Fabb as “Father Jeff, the furnace, the cinnamon babka maker,” to which the fans laughed. 

Next, Zakk took to the piano and slowed things up with In This River, which he always dedicates to Dimebag Darrell and Vinny Paul with their images on screens at the rear of the stage.

After several more fan favourites, they played the song everyone was waiting to hear live for their first time, Ozzy Song, a tribute Zakk wrote not long after Ozzy’s passing.

This time, with Dario on the piano, Zakk took centre stage and sang the heartfelt dedication song in Ozzy’s memory to a respectfully quiet crowd.

With photos of Ozzy on the screens at the back of the stage, you could feel the emotion coming from the band and the crowd, and even the guitar sounded like it may have shed a tear for Ozzy.

They ended a superb set with Stillborn.

It is amazing to see these guys still pounding out so much music night after night, as well as turning out new albums with so many great songs on them.

The Engines Of Demolition Tour featuring Black Label Society, Zakk Sabbath, and Dark Chapel is a must-see for any Zakk Wylde fan, Ozzy Fan, Black Sabbath fan, or any fan of Heavy Metal.

Attendees left The Mohegan Sun arena with ears ringing and possibly even a tear in their eyes for Ozzy Osbourne. Tour tickets are available from linktr.ee/zakkwyldebls.

Black Label Society / Engines Of Demolition Is Zakk Wylde’s Most Emotional & Powerful Album Yet

The post Black Label Society Bring Engines Of Demolition To Life At Mohegan Sun Arena first appeared on MetalTalk – Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews.

Take the time to reflect. Sit a moment with your sadness. Watch a drop of condensation snake its way down a window pane. Imagine the route it will take, the direction it will travel, and observe its path. It seems to be going where you hoped. Until it wobbles, and shakes, and takes a different path entirely. As the solitary droplet reaches its end and spills across the window ledge, you’re left with a question; what now?

‘Did You Ask To Be Set Free?’ is not the record As Everything Unfolds would ever have wanted to make. Tragically, they lost their drummer Jamie Gowers before its production. They could have walked away. They could have taken their memories and let them lie. But they haven’t. Instead, they have regrouped, and in deciding to look to the future, they have made their strongest album so far.

Understandably, it’s impossible to talk about this record without the circumstances of its creation. Any decision must have been difficult and there was no ‘correct’ choice. In this respect, the record feels like a series of questions and answers. The most pertinent; How are you going to approach this?

These songs exist in the shadow of tragedy, and its presence can be felt in every track. Even the song titles allude to it, and yet it sounds nothing like you might expect – yes, it fits clearly into the band’s oeuvre but it is not downcast or morose. It takes precisely one song to dispel that idea; ‘Gasoline’ is as fiery as its name suggests – it’s hugely upbeat and catchy, almost to the point of being a pop song. Perhaps surprisingly, it indicates that this is, musically at least, a record about moving on.

When listening back to the band’s second album ‘Ultraviolet‘, there’s a clear sense of direction. You could argue that they took that album’s big single – ‘Felt Like Home’ – as a starting point. The sound is still rooted in something of a metal-adjacent style of post-hardcore but they have stripped out the layers that defined their early work in favour of bigger grooves. It’s almost like they have reverse-engineered themselves into nu-metal, ending up with a sound closer to that of Dream State or even Dead Pony. It feels big and bold and exciting. Most songs would work as a single – at least a third of them could be played at a disco. Musically at least, it means this is a record about the future, a progression designed to move their career forward.

At a production level the sound is streamlined but in direct conversation with their previous work. It’s a record less about atmosphere, and more about feel. You can hear this on the gentle dancefloor beats of ‘Reverie’ – which are designed to make your hips sway – or on the shuffle under ‘Point Of View’. It also has a sense of momentum which lends even the heavier songs (and they do get heavy) a sense of agility, allowing clever chord changes to shift the rhythmic weight in wicked ways. The fast-riffing ‘Idols’ is a great example, as it is brisk and catchy but has a real bite.

The album has a certain Pick ‘N’ Mix variety. Some songs lean toward pop punk, others like ‘Find Another Way’ are more like power ballads. There are also plenty of harsh, heavy moments – notably the detuned main riff on ‘What You Wanted’ feels massive. Tying all these sounds together is a distinct overall tone. Because the ideas are carefully deployed, it never feels unbalanced or at risk of capsize. Unless, of course, it’s intentional. ‘Set It In Flow’ becomes increasingly intense and warped by some kind of wah-wah effect, making it one of the album’s most creative and striking songs.

Social media is not ideal for an artist. Anonymity is difficult and privacy is a nightmare. At one time a new album prompted a round of interviews, shows, maybe a few stories in the NME, but now oversharing has become part of the deal. This is not easy for anyone and tragedy makes it worse. As Everything Unfolds kept to themselves and this was a good thing. They neither burned themselves out nor painted themselves into a corner. This choice allowed them to continue. The influence of this on vocalist Charlie Rolfe is pronounced, and yet she has found a way to express herself that is both compelling and brilliant. While she has never been coy about the influence of Hayley Williams, these songs push that Paramore direction, leaning on drawn-out sounds, allowing her to share her grief through open-armed choruses.

The smeared opening to ‘Denial’ erects a screen between the performance and events that inspired it. The song is a strange, ugly expression of hurt that rapidly evolves into anger but it’s not one she sits easily with. The other songs express it in different ways but there is an undercurrent of distress, despair or maybe even anger. You can hear it break the surface on the short, snotty scream of ‘What do you take me for?’ but mostly it’s hidden, giving it a strange depth.

Think back to their first album, where songs like ‘Wither’ were written with a sense of downbeat sadness, and compare that to this. Despite the lyrics having a similar tone, listening to this unearths a truth. It doesn’t exist independent of the events that created it. It’s not a work of fiction, more a roman à clef. Listening to it on repeat is like a corkscrew, pulling you deeper into its secrets, rendering the paratext as text, making it genuinely upsetting. After all, this is a dazzling, devastating record inspired by a person who never had the chance to hear it.

‘Did You Ask To Be Set Free?’ is a potent mixture of experience, ambition and grief. Imagine a broken heart buried in a pop song; imagine a dove; listen to the sound of hope.

IAN KENWORTHY

The life of the unpaid, overworked metal reviewer is not an easy one. The reviewing collective at AMG lurches from one new release to the next, errors and n00bs strewn in our wake. But what if, once in a while, the collective paused to take stock and consider the discography of those bands that shaped many a taste? What if multiple aspects of the AMG collective personality shared with the slavering masses their personal rankings of that discography, and what if the rest of the personality used a Google sheet some kind of dark magic to produce an official guide to, and an all-around definitive aggregated ranking of, that band’s entire discography? Well, if that happened, we imagine it would look something like this…

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Formed in 1988, Immolation emerged shortly after death metal’s dawn of aggression. Alongside Incantation, Suffocation, and Mortician, Immolation cemented themselves as a cornerstone of New York’s death metal scene in the early 90s. Since then, the band has erected a kingdom of consistency, releasing cut after unholy cut of complex arrangements, unwavering hostility, and anti-religious ruminations about the failures of gods. Key to Immolation’s dependable, high-quality output are mainstays bassist/vocalist Ross Dolan and guitarist Robert Vigna, who have both been with the band since inception. Even Immolation’s other members prove steadfast, with drummer Steve Shalaty searing skins since 2003 and Alex Bouks lending his axe since 2016. Through eleven full-length releases, Immolation has proven that their ability to harness ruin and forge death metal majesty is nigh unparalleled.

With twelfth album Descent arriving soon, staffers old and new clamored to share their opinions on how Immolation’s back catalog stacks up. Unlike rankings mostly prescribed by overwhelming consensus on their highs and lows, Immolation presents a discography with nothing to atone for, providing fertile ground for healthy, well-considered discourse. Without further ado, then, let’s put our ears to the door of a world below and divine these diabolical rankings!

– Grin Reaper

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The Rankings

Grin Reaper

In my book, nobody does pure death metal better than Immolation. More consistent than Suffocation and Incantation and more uncompromising than Morbid Angel and Cryptopsy,¹ Immolation scoffs at AMG’s Law of Diminishing Recordings™ as they reign atop an unimpeachable discography that lacks a single turd. Seriously. The ‘worst’ album Immolation ever put out still rivals or surpasses the best from most other death metal outfits, and their indomitable march to dismantle the weak and unworthy entrenches them as one of my all-time favorite acts. Jesus wept—Immolation never fucking flinched.

#11. Harnessing Ruin (2005) — Something has to be last, and Harnessing Ruin gets my tap. Songwriting-wise, Immolation drops a strong effort with acerbically grim leads and a rousing introduction to new drummer Steve Shalaty. Guitars supply the album highlights—from the gnarled riffing in “Our Savior Sleeps” and the sludgy sway on “Son of Iniquity” to the scalding solo on “Dead to Me,” Bob Vigna and Bill Taylor sizzle with hell’s fire across Harnessing Ruin. Unfortunately, the album’s production holds it back, and the muffled mix lacks the bite of Unholy Cult. Also, the longest songs cluster at the end, dragging the back half a touch.

#10. Kingdom of Conspiracy (2013) — Kingdom of Conspiracy just ekes ahead of Harnessing Ruin, clocking three minutes briefer despite having one more track. To my ears, Kingdom of Conspiracy features Immolation’s brightest, most modern production. This offers a boon to Dolan’s grating growls and the tormented guitar tandem of Vigna and Taylor, but it also buries the bass and pushes the drums further away from the dead corpse smacks that characterize my favorite Immolation bass drum tones. As one might expect from the bottom end of such an excellent discography, Kingdom of Conspiracy does little wrong, but lacks the heretical heft that defines Immolation’s best material.

#9. Shadows in the Light (2007) — Concluding what I consider Immolation’s middle period, Shadows in the Light chronologically bridges their weakest link, Harnessing Ruin, and powerhouse Nuclear Blast debut, Majesty and Decay. Shadows in the Light drastically improves on Harnessing Ruin’s production, wading out of the former’s forlorn pall and laying down brimstone-tinged bangers like one-two punch “Passion Kill” and “World Agony.” A sense of immediacy pervades Shadows that, while not lacking in the lowest-ranked albums, burns even hotter here, filling its forty minutes with writhing leads and furious drumming that typifies what Immolation does so damned well.

#8. Failures for Gods (1999) — Failures for Gods falling to #8 proves just how potent Immolation’s discography is, as the album would be a crown jewel in countless other discographies. On the surface, Failures for Gods has everything Immolation fans could ask for: punishing grooves, tortured guitars, and vocals that could command the armies of hell. Despite that, Failures for Gods feels like it holds back from the devastating offensive that would launch a year later, instead rehashing rather than progressing what Immolation accomplished on their first two albums. Still, Failures introduced drummer Alex Hernandez, and though his masterstrokes would be heard on Close, songs like “God Made Filth” and “The Devil I Know” heralded the storm to come.

#7. Dawn of Possession (1991) — Pure fucking evil rarely sounds this intoxicating. Steeped in an unpolished production that’s coarse yet clear, Dawn of Possession hooks ears and souls alike, flaying them with its hellish implements. Though it’s Immolation’s most straightforward album, tracks like “Into Everlasting Fire, “Those Left Behind,” and “Immolation” exemplify why suburban mothers clutch their pearls when they happen upon their precious babes listening to death metal. Dawn of Possession was my entry point for Immolation, and it encompasses everything the band offers without guile. I still recommend it for the uninitiated, particularly those who enjoy straight-up OSDM with a side of heresy.

#6. Unholy Cult (2002) — Where Failures for Gods luxuriates in gloomy menace and Close to a World Below reeks of sulfurous damnation, Unholy Cult blurs the line between the two. Starting with a slow build on opener “Of Martyrs and Men,” Unholy Cult careens between ominous drawls and infernal fervor with a substantially improved production over Immolation’s 90s output. “Unholy Cult” remains the second-longest song these death peddlers have penned, and it looms large, rooted in the front half of the album. From there, the tracks rumble and blitz up to closer “Bring Them Down,” a funky barnburner that highlights Dolan’s basswork amidst Immolation’s blazing backdrop.

#5. Majesty and Decay (2010) — Immolation unleashed a juggernaut for their first platter with Nuclear Blast. Blistering, contemplative, and brimming with moldering melody, Majesty and Decay swats with the divine laze of a celestial being, uncoiling at its leisure but devastating in its wrath once roused. Tracks like “A Glorious Epoch” and “The Rapture of Ghosts” toe this line, where beefy chugs pound beneath soaring, anthemic guitars. Meanwhile, the likes of “The Purge” and “A Token of Malice” hit with the force of a thunderclap, unrelenting in their fury. I originally had Majesty and Decay in the same tier as Atonement and Acts of God, but the busy mix and unimaginatively titled “Intro” and “Interlude” hold it back.²

#4. Atonement (2017) — With no song running past the five-minute mark, Atonement exhibits Immolation’s dedication to excising the fat and gristle. Vigna’s crooked leads and crushing riffs mesh perfectly with new guitarist Alex Bouks’ calculated anarchy, and together they synchronize in exquisite harmony. Along with Majesty and Decay, Atonement might be the closest Immolation comes to achieving accessibility. Typically, my favorite straight-up death metal furnishes little room for nuance, and though Immolation doesn’t have a reputation for subtlety, Atonement expertly doles out moments of relief (the end of “When the Jackals Come,” the intro to “Lower”) that almost lull you into safety before the bottom drops out and sends you to hell.

#3. Acts of God (2022) — When I first saw Immolation flaunting fifteen tracks totaling over fifty minutes, I thought their best days were behind them. Bloat is never a good sign, particularly from a band with such a pristine track record. I happily resign to being wrong, though, as Acts of God not only subverted but demolished my expectations. Immolation’s allure lies in the intricacies of their music. Dolan’s patristic admonishment of humanity, Vigna and Bouks’ serpentine noodling, and Shalaty’s tempestuous brutalization of the kit define the band’s sound, yet here the music is more direct and urgent than ever. Rather than missing any beats, Immolation sounds ruinously revitalized.

#2. Here in After (1996) — Though not a significant shift away from Dawn of Possession, Immolation struck nails to gold with Here in After. Compared to later releases, Here in After radiates a few extra degrees of chaos, with deranged soloing that reminds of Slayer’s vision of hell and a slightly more impassioned vocal performance from Dolan. To be clear, his vocals are one of my favorite aspects of Immolation’s sound, and his matter-of-fact, comprehensible gutturals against such malicious metal engenders wonderful drama. The edge to his voice on “Nails to Gold” and “Christ’s Cage” adds a dimension of metaphysical dread that is the chef’s kiss throughout Here in After’s inflamed impiety.

#1. Close to a World Below (2000) — I can’t fathom any other Immolation album topping this blasphemous bonanza than Close to a World Below. Opening with my favorite Immolation track “Higher Coward,” the album bursts forth with an unapologetic eruption of sinuous guitars, vicious growls, and an unyielding onslaught by drummer Alex Hernandez. The drum tones alone deserve a spotlight, but the cataclysmic bombardment of stick on skin violence stops me dead in my tracks anytime one of Close to a World Below’s songs pops up. Immolation distills the essence of what worked so well on previous albums and folds those layers into a perfect performance across eight insidiously immaculate tracks. “Father, You’re Not a Father,” “Unpardonable Sin,” and the closing title track resonate with especially inspired performances, but the entirety of Close to a World Below boils over with the most unhinged and malignant performance of Immolation’s career. Being damned never sounded so Iconic.

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Lavender Larcenist

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Mark Z.

Immolation feel like old friends. I discovered them early in my extreme metal journey and was immediately captivated by Bob Vigna’s unconventional riffing style and Ross Dolan’s commanding (and surprisingly comprehensible) growl. No matter what’s happened in the metal scene, it’s always been comforting to know that Immolation have been there, touring relentlessly while consistently delivering their trademark brand of dissonant death metal and never releasing a true dud. In the world of old school death metal, they’re the one band I could always count on. Because of that, they’ll always have a special place in my ever-blackening heart.

#11. Shadows in the Light (2007) — Not a bad album, just a relatively bland one. While there are some inspired ideas, most of the tracks have little of the dark atmosphere or interesting songwriting found on their earlier material. Nonetheless, it’s a testament to Immolation’s quality that even their worst album still has stuff as good as the lumbering grooves of “Passion Kill” or the growl-along catchiness of “World Agony,” which is one of the group’s best songs.

#10. Harnessing Ruin (2005) — Arguably Immolation’s most accessible album, Harnessing Ruin shows them trying to find their place in the mid-2000s death metal scene by writing some more direct songs than usual. Just like with Shadows in the Light, however, this album sags in its back half and lacks the darkness or quality of the first few records. There’s good stuff here, but this record also feels bleak and oddly dated, possibly due to the generic mid-2000s artwork, plain production job, or the misguided use of whispered vocals in “Dead to Me” and “Son of Iniquity.”

#9. Kingdom of Conspiracy (2013) — The fucking drums, man. The drum sound here is borderline overbearing, and given that this record is already pretty fast, the overall experience is a relentless and punishing one that largely crushes nuance beneath the heel of its boot. Fortunately, the riffing is still strong, and the album’s generally fast nature makes the slower, commanding marches of “Keep the Silence” and “All That Awaits Us” hit all the harder.

#8. Majesty and Decay (2010) — After a relatively lackluster era in the mid-2000s, Immolation signed to Nuclear Blast and seemed hell-bent on redemption with Majesty and Decay. Compared to its immediate predecessors, this record has an improved production job, more dynamic songwriting, and a better sense of structure (with the band employing an intro track and interlude for the first time). While the title track’s Gateways to Annihilation vibes make it one of the band’s best slower songs, the album as a whole would be better if some of the weaker tracks were shaved off and a few others were tightened up a bit.

#7. Acts of God (2022) — This is a very good album with two main issues: It’s too long, and it has the misfortune of having to follow up Atonement. Not even an Immolation album needs to be 52 minutes long, and compared to its predecessor, the production is stuffier and the songs aren’t as strong. As a whole, however, this is still a blasphemous good time that maintains a consistently high level of quality throughout, with “The Age of No Light” and “Overtures of the Wicked” being especially powerful cuts.

#6. Unholy Cult (2002) — Immolation’s fifth album represents a bridge between the apocalyptic malevolence of their early material and the polished hostility of their later work. It’s also potentially their most vicious and chaotic release, with the opening track “Of Martyrs and Men” even featuring some borderline-mathcore riffs. While at times tough to untangle, Unholy Cult ultimately succeeds as a 41-minute shrapnel blast of ideas that somehow combines the epic and the violent into an utterly compelling whole.

#5. Failures for Gods (1999) — The start of Immolation’s long partnership with producer Paul Orofino, Failures for Gods is held back a bit by his lack of prior experience with death metal, with the bass drums sounding like bouncing basketballs. Stylistically and structurally, however, this is essentially Here in After Part II, with twisted and brooding compositions that vary between being grandiose and cutthroat. While a bit front-loaded, Failures is still a brilliant record. In a just world, “No Jesus, No Beast” would be the closer at every Immolation show.

#4. Dawn of Possession (1991) — Immolation’s debut essentially gave their death-thrash demo tracks a murkier production job and placed them alongside newer songs that would hint at the band’s dissonance to come. As such, Dawn of Possession is the most traditional death metal album in the band’s catalog while also being one of the most distinct and stylistically diverse. While Bob Vigna would only improve as a songwriter from here, Dawn’s numerous classic tracks and otherworldly sense of blasphemy make it easy to love, warts and all.

#3. Atonement (2017) — How the fuck is this album so good? Late-career albums aren’t supposed to be this good, but this is the rare lightning-strike release where everything hits just right: the production, the songwriting, the performances, and even the cover art (which marks the return of the band’s classic logo). It’s like they found a way to increase the quality of everything while sacrificing nothing, resulting in a record that’s powerful yet understated, hooky yet stuffed with riffs, and listenable yet extreme. It may be slightly front-loaded, but it’s still one of my favorite death metal albums of the 2010s.

#2. Here in After (1996) — Arriving five years after their debut, Here in After shows Immolation truly coming into their own, with Bob Vigna’s dark, dissonant arrangements and Ross Dolan’s menacing, intelligible growl both emerging in full force. The improved songwriting is apparent right from the flawless opener, “Nailed to Gold,” which could be one of the Top 10 death metal songs ever. While the twisted structures that follow are less immediately accessible, it all eventually coalesces into a masterfully crafted whole, demonstrating a keen sense of flow and diversity while exuding a timeless, unheavenly darkness that only Immolation could conjure.

#1. Close to a World Below (2000) — There are certain albums so good that they transcend not only their own band’s discography, but also the rest of their genre. Close to a World Below is one of those albums. Never before or since has an album sounded so much like being in hell, with a suffocating and merciless production job that somehow still allows every note to be heard in all its unholy glory. Drummer Alex Hernandez delivers a once-in-a-career performance that sounds like he’s bashing every part of his kit at once, and Bob Vigna somehow manages to write his catchiest material while still delivering riffs more warped than ever. The record also has one of the best openings of all time, with a sullen voice asking, “Didn’t you say. . . Jesus was coming?” before a blasting onslaught tramples any hope of ever making it to heaven. Fukk it, send me below!

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Spicie Forrest

Having begun my metal journey in nü territory, there are holes in my metallic knowledge you could drive a commercial truck through.³ While Immolation has long been a name vaguely known to me, it wasn’t until Atonement that I actually heard any of their music. So, when the call for a ranking came in, I saw an excellent opportunity to dive deeply into a storied discography and see what I’ve been missing.

#11. Harnessing Ruin (2005) — While comparably unremarkable, even the bottom end of this list is still good. The truth is, Immolation has never put out a bad album. With such a consistent base quality, placing albums in a numbered order became a game of sudden death. The nail in the coffin for Harnessing Ruin? The whispering vocals on “Dead to Me” and “Son of Iniquity.”

#10 Unholy Cult (2002) — How the hell do you follow up Close to a World Below? By comparison—and even in isolation—Unholy Cult feels lackluster and unremarkable. I’d likely still recognize most of this as Immolation in a playlist, and it’s still very solid death metal by any measure, but there’s precious little here that demands my attention or elevates it above background music. Additionally, pacing shifts, as on “Reluctant Messiah” and “Bring Them Down,” make it difficult to find a groove or flow through the album.

#9 Failures for Gods (1999) — The first three albums Immolation released are all, more or less, of a piece. Failures for Gods maintains much of the quality from earlier releases, from the searing, whiplash solo work and deep riffage of “No Jesus, No Beast” and “Failures for Gods” to the brooding, intimidating tone of “The Devil I Know.” There’s a bit of staleness that creeps into Failures for Gods, though. Aside from some odd, Spanish-inflected acoustic riffing on the title track, not much here stands out from their earlier work or in retrospect.

#8 Shadows in the Light (2007) — Immolation’s output through the mid-00s is, for me, their least engaging, but Shadows in the Light sees them begin to turn things around toward the high quality they’d been known for in the early years. The percussion on Shadows in the Light caught me by surprise, reminding me mightily of Slipknot’s self-titled. Steve Shalaty’s kit work feels alive and visceral, just itching to incite a riot. This holds especially true on “Passion Kill” and “Breathing the Dark.”

#7 Kingdom of Conspiracy (2013) — Kingdom of Conspiracy is an odd duck in Immolation’s discography. This 2013 release has proven divisive not only for its shift in theme,⁴ but for its notably clean production, as well. While I do appreciate the clarity and snappiness, it is a tad sterile. Ross Dolan’s vocals are hurt the most by this, making him sound toothless and tired. Highlights like “All That Awaits Us” and “God Complex” still hit hard, but as a whole, Kingdom of Conspiracy just doesn’t have the searing identity of records higher on this list.

#6 Here in After (1996) — Being the sophomore album is a tough break. The pressure’s on, expectations are high. Here in After largely holds the line and even improves on the debut in some ways—the title track and “Christ’s Cage” are absolute powerhouses, wielding the weight of worlds like feathers. That said, Here in After does not feel as compositionally tight or structurally sound as Dawn of Possession. Additionally, much of the solo work feels jarring and a skosh too chaotic for my sensibilities, especially on “Nailed to Gold” and “Burn with Jesus.”

#5 Majesty and Decay (2010) — A continuation of the upward shift in quality from Shadows in the Light, Majesty and Decay sees Immolation beginning to explore the more tempered, measured sound so prevalent in their contemporary output. Some tracks, like “A Thunderous Consequence” and “Power and Shame,” fall flat in their attempts to create atmosphere, but “Divine Code” and “A Glorious Epoch” show exactly how menacing and powerful Immolation can be and truly embody the title of the album.

#4 Dawn of Possession (1991) — This served as the standard by which all else was measured. Apocalyptic and vicious, Immolation’s debut was a revelation. There’s a ferocity on Dawn of Possession that only a young band eager to share their vision can produce. And in so doing, Immolation marred the tapestry forever. Injecting their relentless assault with streaks of virtuosity, Dawn of Possession became the bar not only for the band, but for thousands of inspired musicians in the decades since. Immolation has tweaked and tempered their blueprint in the 35 years since, but the core has always remained.

#3 Acts of God (2022) — I’m normally not a fan of intros, but “Abandoned” sets the stage perfectly for the brutal and utterly savage cudgeling to come. Fully returning to the unchecked hatred for Christians and their gods, Acts of God is contemptuous and caustic in way that hasn’t been heard since Close to a World Below. Most impressive here is Immolation’s success in merging the pomp and circumstance of their modern output with the rage of their early work. While not strictly their best release, Acts of God is a quintessential work, defining the true identity of Immolation.

#2 Close to a World Below (2000) — Already known for their malicious, uncompromising sound, Immolation cranks all the dials to eleven on Close to a World Below. It’s seething, it’s virulent, it’s fucking hostile. If this masterpiece ever lets up, it’s only to parade and mock the mangled corpse of Christ before grabbing a bigger hammer. Every second of this album drips with scorn, from the indictment of “Father, You’re Not a Father,” to the blasphemy of “Unpardonable Sin.” I get chills at the start of “Higher Coward” every fucking time, and they don’t go away until long after “Close to a World Below” fades out.

#1 Atonement (2017) — The first Immolation album I ever heard, Atonement still remains untouched. The imperial confidence and contempt—the sheer power—left me speechless, and I still return to it, nearly ten years later. Atonement is more atmospheric than much of their other work, but the result is a heretofore unknown level of weight and heft, no doubt aided by its more vibrant and textured production. Like the change in the air before a coming storm, Atonement feels like a harbinger of ruin, and at times like the disaster itself. Barns burn on tracks like “Destructive Currents” and “Rise the Heretics,” but Immolation truly shines in patient malevolence. Highlights like “When the Jackals Come,” “Thrown to the Fire,” and “Lower” are in no rush to grind your bones to paste. Atonement is the full realization of what was hinted on Majesty and Decay, and it is breathtaking to behold.

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Angry Metal Guy Staff Ranking

Thanks to the dark magic of profane arithmetic, we present the aggregate staff ranking below:

1. 1. Harnessing Ruin (2005)
   2. Shadows in the Light (2007)
   3. Kingdom of Conspiracy (2013)
   4. Failures for Gods (1999)
   5. Unholy Cult (2002)
   6. Dawn of Possession (1991)
   7. Majesty and Decay (2010)
   8. Here in After (1996)
   9. Acts of God (2022)
   10. Atonement (2017)
   11. Close to a World Below (2000)

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For any ignorant, curious, or non-practicing heathens out there that need to bathe in the everlasting fire, look no further than AMG’s Immolation primer:

The post AMG Goes Ranking – Immolation appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

The modern alternative rock scene has thrived in recent years, with many excellent artists and bands releasing music

Gore-soaked Death Metal veterans Exhumed arrived at The Grove in Newcastle on the second date of a 26-show European run on the Echoes Of Red tour, stopping in North East England on 5 April before concluding in Madrid on 2 May 2026.

Exhumed – Gruesome – Coffin Mulch

The Grove, Newcastle – 5 April 2026

Words: Matty Hunter

Photography: thedailyddt at Vision Impact Photography

The Newcastle crowd caught the tour with all bands in incredibly fresh form, with Coffin Mulch opening the night, followed by Gruesome and headliners Exhumed. The latter two bands only started the run the day before at Lords Of The Land festival, where they played alongside the likes of Stamping Ground and headliners Anaal Nathrakh.

The Grove was the venue hosting the Easter Sunday show, a spot just outside Newcastle city centre which proved an ideal setting for the evening, with clear acoustics, fittingly dirty lighting, and no wasted space.

Coffin Mulch

Opening the night were Coffin Mulch, the Glasgow-based Death Metal outfit who have steadily carved out a name for themselves since their formation in 2018. 

With a sound rooted firmly in old-school Death Metal, the Scots have a raw and driven urgency while channelling the grime and grit of the early ’90s tones with clear influence from that era in their output.

By the time they hit the stage just ten minutes after doors opened, marking their return to the city for the third time in as many years, a healthy crowd had already gathered.

Kicking off promptly at 7 pm, the quintet wasted no time launching into Infernal Mass, the penultimate track from their 2023 debut full-length Spectral Intercession.

As an avid Venom fan, I was happy to see drummer Ruaraidh Sanachan sporting a shirt with Cronos on the front with Black Metal emblazoned across it. He drove the performance from behind the kit with relentless intensity. 

Up front, Alastair ‘Al’ Mabon, clad in a Carcass shirt, was a relentless presence, delivering impressive guttural vocals while commanding the stage as the band tore through their set. At one point, he even wrapped the mic wire around his neck, further showing the brutality of the music and adding to the atmosphere, all while keeping the crowd in the palm of his hand. 

Equally impressive were the contributions of bassist Rich and guitarist Joseph Edward Kelly, with the former adding a thick, filthy undercurrent to the mix while the latter’s guitar work delivered that signature chainsaw crunch with ferocity. 

A standout moment came during Into The Blood, which had a crushing tempo shift, the song dropping into a slow, suffocating passage before lurching forward again. The whole floor instinctively nodded along to the weighty pacing of this punishing track. 

Closing with the self-titled track, Coffin Mulch, the band wrapped up a concise but impactful 30-minute set. Their performance was the perfect ignition point for the evening, and it certainly primed the crowd for the carnage that Gruesome and Exhumed would soon unleash. 

Coffin Mulch’s sound gripped me. It was a raw Death Metal onslaught, and having only heard a handful of tracks beforehand, I am keen to see what they do next and hope to catch them live again soon.

Gruesome 

Gruesome returned to the UK for the first time in nearly six years on this tour, and the reaction made it clear they had been missed. Formed in 2014 by Matt Harvey and Gus Rios, the band originated from the Death To All tours with the aim of honouring the legacy of Chuck Schuldiner and the early sound of Death, while creating original material rooted in that sound.

With three albums to their name, an EP, and a split release with Exhumed, the ever-present lineup continues to build momentum and show no signs of stopping.

At 7:50, the band were backed by a stark Gruesome logo backdrop and took to the stage as an ominous intro tape rang out across the venue, before the band launched into their set, wasting no time. 

Vocalist Matt Harvey acknowledged that it had been some time since the band last played in the UK, expressing his excitement to be back. He set the tone by taking the crowd back to the early days, introducing Closed Casket from their 2015 debut, Savage Land, setting the tone for that raw, formative sound.

From that moment on, the crowd were fully locked in.

Gruesome wasted little time moving from song to song and powered through their set with sheer intensity. Harvey’s connection with the crowd was palpable. 

What stood out from the outset was the sheer quality of the musicianship, especially the guitar work. The riffs felt nostalgic for the early days but also like a breath of fresh air, in a style that still resonates deeply with a live audience. 

Daniel Gonzalez’s lead guitar work made the complex riffs look effortless, while Robin Mazen’s bass tone added depth, giving the set real weight. Meanwhile, Gus Rios was punishing behind the kit with tight precision throughout.

Mid-set, Harvey checked in again with the crowd. “So, is Death Metal alive in Newcastle? Is old-school Death Metal alive in Newcastle?” The response was immediate and deafening. Feeding off that energy, the band powered forward.

My personal favourite Gruesome track, Inhumane, was played later in the set, and its dynamic structure hit even harder, with each shift landing with impact, showcasing how effectively their material translates live.

The penultimate track, Seven Doors, is based on The Beyond by Lucio Fulci, not to be confused with the criminally underrated South-west based UK band of the same name, and it reinforced the strong horror element that their set carried.

Closing their set with Savage Land, the band delivered a powerful farewell. A fan favourite, it encapsulated everything that defines Gruesome: intensity, grit, and a deep-rooted respect for the genre’s foundations, keeping Chuck Schuldiner’s influence alive through a new generation.

They left the stage to a deafening appreciation, with many around me saying that it would take Exhumed a lot to beat that performance. 

Exhumed

Since forming in 1990 in San Jose, California, Exhumed have remained a prominent name in gore-soaked Death Metal. Rising from the underground, they built their reputation through demos before breaking out with the cult classic record Gore Metal in 1998, which fused savage Death Metal with grindcore intensity.

Across ten records, including their latest, Red Asphalt, they have remained a consistent force. Despite a hiatus between 2005 and 2010, the band returned sharp, and today’s lineup of Matt Harvey, Ross Sewage, Mike Hamilton, and Sebastian Phillips is a formidable unit. 

This run of shows marks their first UK appearance since June 2017 and their first in the city of Newcastle since April 2013. Fans had long been clamouring for Exhumed’s return, and they answered the call in support of their new record. 

The tone was already set by the grim visuals, décor, and lighting across the setup before the band took to it. Flashing traffic cones adorned the stage, and two screens on either side showed gory clips reinforcing the band’s blood-obsessed aesthetic. 

Shortly after, Exhumed exploded into Unsafe At Any Speed, backed by brutal car crash footage on the monitors, instantly pulling the packed room into their bloodthirsty world.

They then burst into the title track from the new record, Red Asphalt. Harvey addressed the crowd for the first time soon after, noting it had been a while and they intended to make up for lost time.

From that point, the quintet barely paused for breath, ripping through a career-spanning set. 

Newer material from Red Asphalt featured heavily, with six tracks in total played. An early standout was Shovelhead, my personal favourite track on the record. Its opening riff is instantly gripping, and it locks you in immediately. 

Cuts like Vacant Grave dug deeper into the catalogue, and it was during a stretch of the older tracks that the guitarists switched sides, and bassist Sewage stood right in front of me. I noticed dried fake blood smeared across his guitar, a subtle but telling sign of what was still to come in the show.

Two new numbers in Iron Graveyard and Symphorophilia sparked real movement in the pit, with bodies colliding as the band kept a relentless pace, barely allowing a second between songs. 

Harvey’s nightly double duty across Gruesome and Exhumed is admirable. A workload that would test any front-person, it was one he handled with relentless energy.

It was towards the final few songs of the set that the theatrical element escalated. Sewage produced a severed head prop filled with fake blood, which he poured and threw into the pit before drinking it himself and letting it run down his face onto his clothes and guitar.

It was grotesque and an insight into what Exhumed are known for as a band so committed to their gore-obsessed aesthetic. 

A classic encore chant of “one more song,” alongside ambitious shouts of “ten more songs,” brought the band back out.

Harvey orchestrated the crowd with several chants after the band returned, teasing the crowd with Utter Mutilation Of Your Corpse played twice, a blink and you miss it track akin to the infamous You Suffer by Napalm Death.

After a bit of camaraderie between band and the crowd, Exhumed then launched into a cover of Detroit Rock City, and as a huge Kiss fan, it was a welcome surprise to hear this rendition, along with many in attendance who sang along to every word. 

The band concluded with the classic Limb From Limb from Gore Metal, with the crowd roaring the chorus, and the whole room moved in unison one last time. 

A chaotic, blood-drenched finale left those in the splash zone of the pit soaked.

After such a long wait, Exhumed delivered a set that fully justified the anticipation. Hopefully, it is not another nine years before the band return.

I spoke briefly with Harvey and Sewage after the show, and both were genuinely humble, approachable, and clearly appreciative of the support, capping off an unforgettable night.

The post Exhumed Paint The Toon Red On Easter Sunday  first appeared on MetalTalk – Heavy Metal News, Reviews and Interviews.

Posted on April 8th 2026, 11:32a.m.