Musical Style and Lyrical Themes
Immolation relies on riffs written in dissonant harmonic patterns, often dueling between the two guitars, to progress songs, typically over complex rhythm and drum patterns. Drum parts are often written to follow the guitar riffs in a way that is unusual for most death metal. They and fellow New York death metal band, Incantation, helped bring the New York death metal scene to the attention of the underground.
Guitarist Robert Vigna and vocalist/bassist Ross Dolan have been the only constant members throughout the band's history. Vigna is considered to be one of the most talented death metal guitarists and is well known for his complex riffing and wailing solos.
The band's lyrics from Dawn of Possession to Unholy Cult are largely anti-religion, especially anti-Christianity. On the band's 2005 album, Harnessing Ruin, there are more lyrics touching on other subjects such as politics. This lyrical direction is further explored on the band's 2007 album, Shadows in the Light and the EP Hope and Horror, which preceded the album. On later albums, the lyrics are considerably less explicit.
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“Through man, and woman, and sea, and star,
Saw the dance of nature forward far;
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Saw musical order, and pairing rhymes.”
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