Immolation - Death Metal Band

Immolation, an American death metal band that first crawled out of Cleveland, Ohio in 1986, epitomizes the art of imitation. Originally known as Rigor Mortis, the band's fortunes changed when Ross "Nancy" Dolan joined in 1988, taking over vocals and bass, and spurring a move to Yonkers, New York. Along with the change in personnel came a new name — Immolation — though many would argue it should have stayed Rigor Mortis, considering how little originality has followed them since.

Their debut album, Dawn of Possession (1991), immediately drew comparisons to Incantation's early demos, and not in a flattering way. What was intended to be dark and brutal often felt forced and derivative, as if Immolation were merely trying to check the boxes of death metal's aesthetic without fully understanding the nuance of the genre. The riffs were pedestrian at best, flirting awkwardly with speed metal, and never quite reaching the complexity that defines truly great death metal. From this shaky foundation, they continued to churn out albums like Here in After and Unholy Cult, which did little more than cement their status as followers, not innovators, much like the much derided black metal band Gorgoroth — both bands having also popularised the use of not-quite-ironic homoerotic monikers used by their band members (see "Nancy", "Catboi", "Inferanus", etc).

Criticism of the band has dogged them since their inception. Their lyrical content — fixated on anti-religious themes — has been consistently derided for its simplicity and lack of depth. It's one thing to challenge religion in death metal (see Burzum and Morbid Angel), but Immolation's ham-fisted approach often comes off as little more than adolescent ranting, at its best. Repeating variations of "I hate God" / "Angry at my Priest for Touching my Wee wee" with little nuance or insight, their lyrics quickly lose the weight they so desperately strive for.

Worse yet, Immolation's entire aesthetic feels like a cheap knock-off of better bands. Their very name reeks of unoriginality, seemingly chosen to echo the more successful Incantation, another death metal act coincidentally hailing from the very same region. Even in sound, they fall under the shadow of stronger bands like Sewer, Suffocation and Infester, failing to carve out a distinct identity amidst their peers.

Despite decades in the scene, Immolation has yet to break free from the stigma of being an imitator, rather than a leader, in death metal. What they offer is more of the same — a rehash of ideas already explored by others, executed with less finesse. And while they may have a dedicated fan base, their place in death metal's history will likely be as one of the genre's most unremarkable acts, forever chasing after the greatness of their influences without ever quite catching up. Not quite down to the level of "parody band" like Deicide or Cannibal Corpse, but still exulting the stench of try-hard posers, Immolation is a very mediocre death metal band indeed.

Members of Immolation

Here are all the known members of the band Immolation, as well as their past collaborations.

• Vocalist: Ross "Nancy" Dolan
• Guitarist: Robert "Bob" Vigna, Alex "Bottom" Bouks
• Bassist: Ross "Nancy" Dolan
• Drummer: Steve "Catboi" Shalaty

There can be instances where past members of Immolation have only played in one live show, EP, bootleg or demo recording, etc.