Album Review: Immolation - Descent (Nuclear Blast Records, 2026)

Artwork: Eliran Kantor

Written: 30th March 2026

Within the realms of death metal, few bands can match Immolation’s combination of enduring legacy and consistently strong discography. From their earliest days with Dawn Of Possession via mid-career mastery with Unholy Cult and more recently (albeit nine years ago) with the undeniable excellence of Atonement, they have repeatedly proven why they are so highly regarded.

Now, following 2022’s Acts of God, Immolation return with Descent, which chronicles the fall of failed empires, endless wars and the corruption of the human soul. It is an album of which the band are extremely proud. “The vibe and feel of this new one is almost addictive. We couldn’t be happier with how it came out and we can’t wait for everyone to hear it! This album takes what we’ve done on the last couple of records and truly brings it to a new level. The material stays true to our roots, but also goes into some new territory at times, being somewhat ambitious, but taking nods from even our earliest moments.”

Quiet, ominous guitars introduce us to opening track These Vengeful Winds but within ten seconds, ferocious riffs and growls launch the first salvo of seismic attack, Steve Shalaty’s blast beats already threatening to reduce your speakers to dust. Ross Dolan’s vocals are as cavernous and malevolent as ever, his unmistakable delivery proving perfectly suited to withstand the passage of time without sacrificing power or presence. With his signature guitar tone in place, Robert Vigna produces feral and apocalyptic-inducing riffs amid the unmistakable groove that embodies much of the track. These Vengeful Winds opens Descent in classic Immolation fashion, laying down an unambiguous statement of intent.

The Ephemeral Curse increases the brutality; Immolation have their hands round our throats and they are not about to let go. However crushingly stomping it is, the quartet are firmly in control, never threatening to let the chaos overwhelm them; ruthless and vitriolic, yet meticulous in their discipline. Doom elements come to the fore during the song’s final minute with monolithic riffs and the tolling of a bell. This introduces a darker, more unsettling atmosphere which continues on God’s Last Breath. Slower paced for the most part, but no less bludgeoning, it is a stalking, hulking beast. This changes during the intense and visceral central section which finds Dolan and Shalaty firing at us with insanely rapid, machine-gun bass and drums. Only three tracks in, Immolation have already introduced enough variation in tempo and approach to keep things compelling without diluting their core sound.

The next two songs on Descent – Adversary and Attrition – have previously been released as singles so any fan of the band is most likely to have heard these. Adversary is thunderously electrifying with pile-driving riffs, wailing but wondrously constructed guitar solos and Steve Shalaty once again pummelling us into submission. Confrontational and anti-religious in its sentiments, Adversary rejects faith and authority. I drink from the lake of fire / I praise no lord or messiah / The Serpent who tests the pious / The Lion who devours the deceitful. At a sleek three-and-a-half minutes, not a second is wasted and with some blackened death metal embellishments, it continues to offer diversity as Descent progresses.

Attrition is a slower, menacing song that moves like a towering entity tearing through the landscape, each step destroying everything in its path. In the band’s words, “Attrition has a dismal, hopeless atmosphere. It focuses on the senseless wars and battles for territory that mankind seems to constantly repeat,  no matter what the cost. The drum work by Steve Shalaty is a key component in this song as it emphasizes the overall emotion of the track, with not only a militant feel, but unique rhythmic cymbal work and other twists that bring the musical parts to life.”  Those bleak emotions of futility and nihilism come through in the lyrics, which Dolan growls with molasses-like abyssal utterances. Demons of conflict descend; spewing fire / Bolts of death raining their carnage, pounding the earth / Lost souls rise in the smoke-filled skies / Ceaseless crusade of the damned keeps raging on.

Bend Towards To The Dark - one of my favourite songs on Descent – blends a vastness with feelings of dread, all distilled through a ferocity that long-time fans will love. Immolation manipulate pace and pressure with skill, creating an atmosphere that feels almost darkly cinematic. Host harks back to the groove hinted at on Attrition - Vigna’s ceaseless lead work adding murky colours to the already grimy palette, while Alex Bouks anchors everything with dense riffs.

False Ascent reinforces why Immolation’s consistency remains so formidable. Furious and tightly controlled, the track surges with purpose, the modern production lending clarity without diminishing the band’s ability to pummel and dominate. Dolan’s vocals loom like something ancient and immovable, anchoring the song as the guitars and drums drive forward with relentless force. It is a clear reminder that refinement has not dulled Immolation’s impact but sharpened their potency.

Penultimate track Banished is totally unlike anything else on Descent, similar in nature to And The Flames Wept and Abandoned on Acts of God or Intro and Interlude from Majesty and Decay. However, those tracks mainly served as opening or linking passages. Here, the perfectly titled Banished stands as a fully formed three‑and‑a‑half‑minute piece that represents Immolation’s clearest and most overt use of this style of composition to date. Combining solemn piano with jagged, staccato strings and haunting guitar, it arrives at a point in the album where some may feel the momentum should be unbroken. Yet its placement feels deliberate: a moment of oppressive stillness before the final act. The presence of the cello lends a depth and gravity that is as portentous as anything on the record, proving that Immolation can still evoke malice on such a track.

Descent closes with its six‑minute title track, a formidable summation of almost everything the album has explored so far, with the notable exception of the introspective restraint of Banished. It moves fluidly between tempos, time signatures and shifting dynamics, yet never feels disjointed. Immolation deliver some of the album’s most intensely aggressive material, the guitars surging and recoiling as Vigna’s solos rise and scream with an unhinged, soaring quality. Dolan sounds utterly possessed here, his performance unwaveringly commanding. The ease with which the band navigate these structural changes speaks to complete mastery of their craft. Descent brings the album to a close in the most emphatic fashion possible.

At a taut forty‑two minutes, Descent is lean and purposeful throughout, a stunning album from a band still operating at a formidable level. It is a stronger and more cohesive record than Acts of God, even if it stops short of surpassing Atonement  - albeit that is an album I have lived with for nine years and regard as being as strong as anything Immolation have released across their career. The quartet have spent time honing this album and it shows. Long‑time fans will find everything that defines Immolation here: implacable pacing, suffocating atmosphere and an unerring sense of control that few bands in the genre can match. Monumental. Uncompromising. Enduring.

Descent is released on 10th April 2026