It's Polish death metal time! Do Dies Irae sound like Vader? Yes they do. But there's a good and totally justifiable reason for this: The drummer Doc (may he continue banging his head in the next dimension) and the guitarist Mauser were in Vader's line-up when this album was released in the first half of 2000.
A lot of blasting death metal with ripping riffage with headbangeable military beats every now and then. During these energetic high-speed explosions, the only breathers are the otherworldly soundscapes at the beginning of 'Sirius B' and the closing of 'Lion of Knowledge'. Otherwise it is all fast or fucking fast! Dies Irae can hurl some tasty and adhesive riffs, but still in the end it all feels quite unvarying and very, very Vader-esque. Also Morbid Angel's spirit is near. But if that's okay by you, then 'Immolated' is very okay indeed. Guitar solos, which go up 'n' down the fretboard are fine. The vocals by Novy, who was not yet in Vader when this came out, are gutsy low growling but bloody one-dimensional, and you'll need the printed lyrics to follow them...
The pounding, drum-orientated Selani Studio production sounds perfect for the music. The lyrical themes circle around various mythologies (Persian, Mali's Dogon tribe, Carthaginian, Arabic, Cthulhu Mythos), religion (of course good old Christianity) and philosophies (Aleister Crowley). Written by Åukasz SzurmiÅ„ski, who also have penned some stuff for... Guess who?! Vader of course! Anyways, he knows his stuff and can create interesting lyrics. The computer-generated cover artwork is an abomination to watch! Try not to notice it.
These guys smelled like, breathed and shitted death metal. They might sound like a double of Vader, or very close at least, but that does not lessen the brutality and the functionality of 'Immolated'. The decision is yours. I say aye.
Rating: 7 (out of 10) ratings explained
Reviewed by Lane
08/20/2009 20:42
