Immolation, the legendary New York City death metal band, recently played its first club show in seven years at New York City’s Webster Hall as part of the Blackened Music Series.
Before You Press Play:
Hometown: Yonkers, NY
The Facts: Straight out of Yonkers, New York, Immolation has carried the torch for New York death metal for over twenty years. Robert Vigna formed Immolation in 1988 out of the ashes of his first band Rigor Mortis (NY) by recruiting vocalist and bassist (and truck driver) Ross Dolan. Immolation played its first show ever at the Nyack, New York venue Blondie's. An early demo which included the song “Immolation,” landed the group a record deal with Roadrunner Records. Immolation's debut album, Dawn of Possession (1991), as well as the subsequent albums Here In After (1996), Close to A World Below (2000) and Unholy Cult (2002), are considered genre classics. Angelcorpse guitarist Bill Taylor joined the group in 2002 and two years later drummer Steve Shalaty came aboard and cemented the band’s current line-up.
The Sound: Immolation’s pummeling, intense sound is built upon a gale force rhythm section that's in lockstep with complex dissonant riffs, dueling guitars and Dolan’s deep dark guttural growl. Soaring above it all is Vigna’s full-throttle and technically accomplished guitar playing. The set the band played at Webster Hall spans the band's career with an emphasis on the band's 2010 album Magesty & Decay. Listen for Dolan introducing the love ballad "Power and Shame."
Latest Release: Majesty and Decay (Nuclear Blast), 2010
He Said, She Said: “When I was younger I liked music a lot, then slowly got into some of the hard rock stuff like Van Halen, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, etc. But it wasn’t until some friends of my family asked me if I wanted to go see a concert one day that it really hit me. They said Ronnie James Dio was coming to town, and asked if I wanted to go with them. I said yes and it was all downhill from there." —Robert Vigna speaking to About Metal’s Chad Bower, April 3, 2010
“The night was filled with shout outs to old school Immo fans who've supported the band for 23 years. Dolan is as nice as they come, especially for a person who fronts a death metal band. His hair is longer than the height of many humans'. Yet what he grunts during songs has more power than a natural disaster.” —Justina Villanueva, speaking to Noise Creep, August 9, 2010
Set List:
"World Agony"
"Father, You're Not a Father"
"Interlude"
"A Thunderous Consequence"
"Dawn of Possession"
"Power and Shame"
"Harnessing Ruin"