Imprecation : “In Nomine Diaboli”

In recent years, I very rarely come across a furious and inspiring death metal that makes me headbang  to the rhythm of the blasts.
Imprecation’s ‘In Nomine Diaboli’ is just one of those albums that  hold you tight by the throat, carrying the spirit of old-school death metal in full, taking you back to the glory years of Florida and Texas, leaving no doubt as to what it’s all about. And no wonder – we are talking about pioneers in the genre, developing their creativity since 1991, alongside bands like Deicide and Morbid Angel.

The album opens with the furious “Reborn in Fire”, with the very first riffs all screaming “old school is here to shake you to your core”. The vocals come in a few moments later, emotionally charged, driven and razor sharp – clear and crisp, alongside the beautiful basslines and rhythmic drums. In the background, there is no lack of choral chants and keyboards, adding a dose of October horror mood.
I was extremely saddened to learn that these massive drum and keyboard performances were actually the last for Ruben Elizondo, who lost his life to Covid-19 in the summer of 2021.

Throughout the album we witness frank and vicious vocals, subduing monolithic guitars, very intelligently played drums and various noises, and despite the obvious furious attack, the band manages to play with the listener in a fascinating way – a great rarity among younger bands . Forty minutes felt like twenty and the hunger for more at the end was extremely sensible.

“In Nomine Diaboli” is an uncompromising brutal death metal attack in a beautiful old-school way. Imprecation once again rise to the surface to slap mediocrity in the face and deliver a deadly opus crafted with soul, blood, and homage to the genre.

The album was released on October 14th through Dark Descent Records, you can hear it in full and buy it on BandCamp: