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Class 6(66)

Immolation: Dawn of possession

09/08/07  ||  The Duff

Released: 1991

Introduction

The debut album from death metal legends Immolation. Apparently, these guys never got the recognition they deserved. Well, personally, I’ve stayed away from all the classic death metal bands for some time now (other than Suffocation), and have only just recently seen to purchasing albums from bands such as Morbid Angel and the likes; bands without which Decapitated, Behemoth and many of my other favorites wouldn’t be around today – I’m coming into “Dawn of Possession” as a death metal novice, in a way, and yet only two months of having it in my possession has revealed just why it is worthy of the high praise it achieves.

Songwriting

9. Considering that this is a debut album, the arrangements of each song are really well thought out – there is a maturity found here along with a know-how of what works well together and what doesn’t that often takes most bands about two full-lengths to get down.

Production

6. Rather inhospitable; the guitars have a real smooth, healthy buzz about them, but overall, this could be slightly more listener-friendly. For it’s time, and because it’s a debut album, I guess it could be a whole lot worse (sure has a nice “retro” aspect to it); I’m guessing my distaste is in fact due to the really shit vocals, and that the production does not make Ross Dolan sound any better than the inadequate death metal growler (when a death metal singer sounds like he has throat cancer, we’re not generally off to a good start) that he is, failing to disguise that he’s simply someone to “fill the spot”.

Guitars

9. The true spine, meat and organs to this metal masterpiece (metalheads don’t have brains, so…), at times I would say that some of the riffs don’t quite tickle me, but then that’s all down to personal taste. Overall, speed, ridiculous amounts of groove, complexity and Crushingnenisitynous, as well as harmonics that actually work (take that, Visceral Bleeding!), the riffs on “Dawn of Possession” have gone on to influence a whole clusterfuck of bands, including my all-time favorites Decapitated. What’s more, a majority of the time-signatures are just really remarkable; Robert Vigna wrote them about as technical as they could get with very little fretboard wankery. Finally, although at times a little repetitive throughout parts of the album, the solos add an entirely new dimension to this album’s already evil and twisted nature.

Vocals

3. Absolutely shit; I can see what bands like Crotchduster take the piss out of.

Bass

8. As much as I never really pay much attention to the bass on death metal albums, it would be unfair of me to rate this much less than the guitars considering Ross Dolan manages to match Vigna’s skill on the four-string. I think that the bass itself could use a bit more punch, but then that’s another gripe with the album’s production.

Drums

5. Can’t say I think much of Craig Smilowski, as much as this may cause some of you to scream blue murder. The one seriously interesting beat conjured in the opening track is only repeated later on in the album, taking away from what little versatility I may have thought him to be blessed with; on the whole, it’s a rather stale effort, where working through the songs is a repetitive account – with everything else being of such a high grade, it’s a shame someone with a little more musical depth couldn’t have been recruited for the position. Sure, some of the ideas are nice, but the fills are unimaginative – he isn’t re-inventing the vagina in the realm of death metal drummers.

Lyrics

4. I don’t really have a preference when it comes to death metal lyrics, but I favor the consensus that philosophical lyrics that deal with all that is wrong with whatever the fuck have a more endearing quality to them than Christ-hating/dead corpse-molesting lyrics simply because they provoke more of a thoughtful reaction from the listener (as much as you can never understand what’s being said) – the lyrics that are found on “Dawn of Possession” comprise the latter, and as such don’t stir too much within me (again, as much as I care, considering it’s death metal).

Cover art

10. Real fucken cool; crimson skies occupied by flying devils busying themselves possessing angels (the ever-going struggle between good and evil; Immolation have clearly concluded which should reign victorious here) via what looks like rape – this remains suggestive within the artwork, but I doubt I’m far off the mark. As much as I don’t condone rape, you can’t deny that it’s a real fucken cool album cover.

Logo

7. I really dig the Immolation logo, although I question why it’s a little to the right of the album and not situated dead-center (possibly so as to interfere with the artwork as little as possible?). Anyways, who gives a fuck other than myself? I deduct a point, but otherwise pretty cool… thorny.

Booklet

4. Lyrics with the cover blown up and put in as a faded-grey background, plus a long thank you list and a pic of the band with hair. Standard.

Overall and ending rant

9. I have come into this disc as about an unbiased an individual as possible – I wasn’t around when it first hit the World, and therefore cannot claim that I attach it to some nostalgic value, and yet I have also grown overly fond of a great number of bands Immolation’s earliest efforts would later go on to influence, and as such, if these riffs were anything less than stellar, I wouldn’t give “Dawn of Possession” half a chance purely because I would have had heard it all before – “Dawn of Possession” is an absolute gem; exceptionally unique, undeniably brutal and technical, and one of the most important albums in death metal history along with Morbid Angel’s “Altars of Madness” and Suffocation’s “Effigy of the Forgotten”. Clearly offering inspirado for bands ranging from Decapitated to Crotchduster, you don’t want to miss out on this one!

Class 6(66) -reviews

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