Review by Sam on January 20, 2026.

Immolation is one of one. Of all the technical, brutal, blasphemous death metal bands on planet earth, they have developed a sound in the extreme metal ecosphere that is all their own. Through their utilization of technical prowess and songwriting dynamics, lead guitar techniques such as dissonance, fretboard tapping, and pinch harmonics, evil lyrics composed by lapsed catholics from New York, and sheer brute force, their gigantic oeuvre engulfs and incinerates the listener. I was fortunate enough to see these dudes on tour opening up for (The True) Mayhem in 2017, and I can honestly say they blew the headlining act off the stage, and Mayhem was performing "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" in full.

(Perhaps it is unfair to compare the two, being from two opposing ends of extreme metal and the world, but the music of Immolation is just so diverse with all the different time signatures and tempo changes that there really is no comparison. Hearing "De Mysteriis...", though legendary, after Immolation’s brutal, diverse, and highly intense set, caused the masterpiece to come off as a bit one-dimensional. I will say that Attila’s stage presence was unquestionable, and I loved his esoteric gestures using candlelight. Immolation’s performance was simply more visceral.)

The blast furnace that is the album "Close To A World Below" roars to life following the dissonant opening guitars of 'Higher Coward', perfectly framed by the iconic sample. (Didn’t you say…) The first shoutout has to go to drummer Alex Hernandez because the dude sounds like Shiva, the destroyer of worlds, with six arms. His style is unique and innovative, with the technical chops of a jazz fusion player. He devastates with double bass and mesmerizes with creative and artful cymbal accents, with his chinas singing out beautifully. 'Father, You’re Not A Father' is of particular note with its midsection of pummeling double bass beneath offbeat china cymbal hits.

It is purely my speculation that these guys are in fact lapsed catholics, but let’s look at the facts: they hail from NYC, known for its high concentration of catholics, blasphemy is their most common lyrical theme, and check out some of the song titles on offer – 'Father, You’re Not A Father', 'Furthest From The Truth', 'Unpardonable Sin'… I mean, come on, and here is the main refrain from Father:

“I hailed Mary… over and over again
You’ve failed Mary
You’ve raped Mary… over and over again
You've walked beside me, but I was alone
You've walked on top of me, crushing me”

I find the subject of lapsed catholicism fascinating, and to me, these words are a reflection of someone who is just that. I would love to know more about the childhoods of Ross Dolan and Bob Vigna. Surely at least one of them was subjected to the harsh discipline of nuns and priests in a strict catholic school setting. Maybe one of them was at one time an altar boy. Did they take a sip of the communion wine and begin to question authority? Ross and Bob were working their own merch stand when I saw them in St. Louis, and they were both approachable and accommodating fellas, and I was charmed by their thick Brooklyn accents. When I asked them if they would be performing anything off of "Close To A World Below", they exchanged a glance, and Ross simply said “no” with a slight grin.

The first riff of the song 'Unpardonable Sin' is monolithic and crushing, seasoned with the peculiar yet enthralling dissonance that the band is known for, and they proceed to bludgeon our already disembodied skulls with an onslaught of brutal riffs and double bass. Vigna’s lead work on this track is outstanding, and his chaotic and abstract style is unmistakable. If I were to describe the sound of this album in one word, that word would be “huge”. Each song has blasting sections, lumbering knuckle-dragging bits, disorienting lead guitar work, frenetic drumming, and the Cyclopean vocals of Ross Dolan put a nice blasphemous bow on this anti-Christmas present.

"Close To A World Below" closes with its title track, and what a brutal beast it is, clocking in at over eight minutes. Alex Hernandez is completely on fire as he razes and levels the battlefield with his unrelenting double bass destruction. Bob Vigna treats us to a disharmonic tap solo followed by a revisit to the gigantic opening riff. After the ensuing beatdown of frantic blast beats and the final guttural lamentation to “bring us closer… to a god below”, Vigna’s final lead of the album is an atmospheric masterclass in morbidity.

Rating: 9.8 out of 10

Review by Adam M on June 27, 2025.

This album was one of the essential death metal albums and showcased the band flourishing on all cylinders.  There is a dark atmosphere here to the work and it is heavy and powerful.  The album pulls all the right punches to make a huge impact on the listener.  It is a very sizzling display of death metal might and an exciting addition to their discography.

The musicianship on the album is quite stellar with cascading guitars and has a production job that is top notch.  The entire affair is heavy and brutal and makes good use of distortion to a maximum effect to captivate the listener.  The band would have more well performed albums in the future, but this is certainly a highlight.

In terms of flaws, the album doesn’t have some of the positive traits of Unholy Cult and Majesty and Decay and this comes up a little wanting and is not the masterpiece of alums like Human and simply another excellent album by the band.

Overall, this album was an entertaing diversion and one of the strongest that the band has put out to date.  It is an influential album to bands like Behemoth and Nile and very interesting to listen to.  Fans of the heavy end of death metal will find like with as will those liking heavy music in general.

Rating: 7.7/10

Review by Krys on February 21, 2001.

Finally we have an Immolation album that was released one year after the previous one. And what a piece of music it is. What really amazes me is that material on "Close To A World Below", even though produced in less time than any other Immolation album, is better than ever before. I just have one piece of advice for the band: Release albums every year, damn it!

Always in shadow of big brothers like Morbid Angel or Cannibal Corpse (although not any more!), Immolation’s 'Close To A World Below' belongs to one of the best releases in death metal sector of the year 2000. What can I say about this album? Let’s start by saying that if you had attention deficit problems prior to listening to this album, you might need professional care afterward!

In the guitar department, Thomas Wilkinson & Robert Vigna take you on an insane and complex trip through the madhouse where drummer Alex Hernandez with ultrasonic speed will pound your head with a baseball bat and Ross Dolan will scream, moan and growl until you see monkeys take over the world. (I had to do it for 'Atomic', he loves them. Monkeys, of course!) I tell you, it’s a beautiful feeling knowing that there are bands like Immolation that create brutal but also atmospherically insane music without using keyboards or any special effects; just a little headbanger’s how-to-create-a-band tool kit - guitars and drums. Just beautiful!

"Close To A World Below" should be Immolation’s final break-through, which they fully deserve and have my absolute support. Album not recommended to people with short attention spans.

Ratting: 8.5 out of 10