From the moment the drums and guitar of opener „Higher Coward“ kick in after a short intro, it is obvious that Immolation have reached a higher plateau of intensity and brutality with their trademark sound of dissonant, infernal DM. Instead of looking at Lucifer‘s realm from a secure place on the outside and filtered through the lenses of orthodox iconography, we are now engulfed in flames, the veil lifted from our gaze, staring with wide eyes at the horrors around us: If one glance at the cover artwork didn‘t suffice to realize the difference, it doesn’t take long to understand once „CTAWB“ is rotating. 

Immolation’s fourth album is one of the most crushing, punishing and brutal records in all of DM: Forget all those supposedly „brutal“ technical DM bands out there - this is the real thing. Ross Dolan sounds so hateful and pissed throughout, drummer Alex Hernandez‘ mission seems to be to reduce his kit to ashes and guitar necromancer Robert Vigna channels Lovecraft‘s mad composer Erich Zann transmitting harmonies and rhythms that seem to come from otherworldly, hostile dimensions. Listening to „CTAWB“ you feel as if the air is sucked out of the room and your mind is stormed with images you are unable to comprehend. 

Many voices on the net say that this is Immolation‘s crowning achievement and a classic of the genre but I still feel this band is hugely underrated. I was at a Cannibal Corpse gig yesterday, with Immolation being one of the supporting acts, but you could hardly spot any shirts in the crowd, their sound flying over the heads of most of the people going crazy to the escapist sound of Municipal Waste later that evening. Immolation isn’t „fun“: It‘s painful music that needs repeat listens to open itself. „Close to a World below“ is the sound of order unraveling right in front of us, of chaos taking over, of primal fear freezing our heart and insanity clouding our minds. 

No standout tracks as this album has to be listened to as as a whole. But „Father yo‘re not my father“ has to be one of the saddest, most crushing songs in metal EVER. 