Immolith - Hymns To The Countess

With Immolith's newest EP, Hymns to the Countess, gone is the intimacy of the rehearsal demo in favor of a more accessible and professional sounding release. The modern guitar tone definitely plays to the legions of black metal fans out there who are soaking up the sounds of Watain and Keep of Kalessin. While Immolith still revel in the raw, simple-minded approach to black metal, I miss the sound of their demo. Regardless, Hymns to the Countess still proves that Immolith have much more left to spew forth. Opening the EP is a re-recording of "Ghost Tower of Inverness." While the song is generally unmodified in structure, a technical guitar solo and blasphemous harmonies have been included to help along the track's instrumental break. Second track "Slaughter the Legions" also plays with the idea of harmony and melody, offering a more straightforward structure to match the call to arms style of the track. Personally, I like this track the most of all the songs on the EP. It includes several interesting riffs and a very Graveland-inspired lead to match the song's marching feel. What stands out on this release is Isiamon's ability as a lead guitarist which took a backseat on the Rehearsal demo. His complex leads showcase the purposed simplicity of the riffs on the EP and contrast perfectly with the technicality of his guitar solos . Vocally, Warhead -- also on drums -- is adequate but not standout. His standard blackened vocalizations do nothing to really hurt the sound of the EP, but they don't really surpass my expectations. He's just... there. This is one area where I feel that Immolith have not yet found their way. But the main fault with the EP is Warhead's drum tone, which, admittedly, sounds way too processed and lacks the natural feel I found so inviting on the demo. Warhead's drumming is, as always, top notch. Once again, Immolith rounds off the EP with their excellent cover of Venom's “Countess Bathory.”