Immolation's previous full-length _Majesty and Decay_ was highly regarded by our former colleague Jackie Smit, and it was indeed an album worthy of such praise; but _Kingdom of Conspiracy_ sounds much more focused, sharp and simply much heavier. It's just five minutes shorter than its predecessor, but those five minutes really made a difference. _Kingdom of Conspiracy_, despite a rather average cover art, is very much a hard-hitter. Blistering cuts like "Echoes of Despair", "A Spectacle of Lies" and "Serving Divinity" come in with murderous intent and leave behind them an entangled mess, all in less than four minutes. The production job isn't an overtly polished one, which is a good thing given Immolation's compositional style.

Robert Vigna's staple screeching harmonics are also all over the album, but he's really pushed his soloing a lot further this time around. The sheer dissonance coming through the solos on "Keep the Silence", "God Complex" and the skull-crushing "Indoctrinate" is just ungodly. Right next to him is his long time accomplice Ross Dolan barking ever so furiously at the mic with his signature deep guttural delivery while maintaining the band's foundation with his bass. On the other side of that foundation is Steve Shalaty, who's been Immolation's drummer since 2005's _Harnessing Ruin_. Shalaty's drumming on _Kingdom of Conspiracy_ exceeds just mere blasting and endless cymbal noise. He's constantly able to keep up with Vigna's continuous riff shifting and manages to add his own touch as well; take that intelligently placed ride bell stroke in that transition on "God Complex".

Despite all the moments of individual skill and overall band harmony, _Kingdom of Conspiracy_ doesn't reveal its true genius at first glance; which is almost a rule of thumb for great metal, or just great music in general. The Dolan-Vigna partnership is still a winning formula, especially with a machine like Steve Shalaty behind them on the drums. _Kingdom of Conspiracy_ is a lot more than a sign to prove that these old-timers are alive, it's proof that Immolation is alive and kicking; and rather violently too. This is an album to restore the faith of old-school death metal fans who, by now, can't even recognize Morbid Angel and were left slightly disappointed by Suffocation's _Pinnacle of Bedlam_. Damn those harmonics and oddly-timed blasts are pretty sweet; I'm going back for another listen.