Both are fantastic, but I'd have to go with Immolation. They've been more consistent over the years, and their recent albums have been more interesting to me than Incantation's. Atonement was phenomenal. I'm excited for Profane Nexus though.
Immolation, no contest. Incantation is great, but Immolation has 3 masterpieces (The first 3 albums) and 2 good albums (the next 2 after the first 3). "Here in After" is their pinnacle, their song writing and intrumental work is flawless. The drumming...is some of the best I have ever heard right up there with Deicide's "Deicide" and Sinister's early work.
@@theshamanofenterprise7408 Incantation has one album where they truly had some of if not the best song writing ever (with Atrocity and Gorguts) and that's "Diabolical Conquest" which I consider their peak as opposed to "Onward to Golgotha". What Incantation did was stuff that Immolation managed to do only a few times on songs like "Once Ordained" and "Of Martyrs and Men". Listening to Desecration (of the Heavenly Graceful) you got to say that was their musical peak. They had the best lyrics, the best tempo changes, the best riffs, and a sound that literally sounds like the final trumpets. It's monumental in every sense of the word. I consider Immolation better because of the dissonance they explored in their music. So many musical ideas that have not been explored fully especially Here In After-Close to a World Below era.
Incantation, on the contrary, has (in my opinion) at least four truly great albums: Onward to Golgotha, Mortal Throne of Nazarene, Infernal Storm, and Diabolical Conquest.
In terms of which albums are praised by Incantation fans: not really. In the grander scheme of things: absolutely. Nobody ever talks about that album when discussing the best death metal albums of the nineties.
I liked the mix on upon the throne of apocalypse. I agree that the songs were very strong but the mix wasn’t as heavy as Golgotha. Still though I agree it should be high on the list for death metal of that era.
It is, people think Onward to Golgotha is because it is the "heaviest". Diabolical Conquest was their peak by far. The best song writing, their most technical, lyrics going hand in hand with the motifs being illustrated by the riffs and solos, and the energy/ideas brought in by Corchado.
6:25 ARE YOU SERIOUS? It's Daniel Corchado who had already done song writing with Cenotaph on "The Gloomy Reflection of Our Hidden Sorrows" (A CLASSIC) which itself has many of the charcteristics that make Incantation great. He was already vocalist there, and a damn good one. Plus, he did songwriting with Incantation on this record too.
Excellent video, and may I say - What a brilliant channel! As an old-school DM/BM fan, it's great to see you discussing all of these old classic releases. You are quite right. I got into Death Metal in 1988, and all we had then was magazines and pen pals to trade tapes with. It truly was a different world without the internet. I remember vividly reading about Deicide in a Metal Hammer Thrash special which had a feature on Death Metal inside. I was anxious to check them out, and I scoured the record stores week in, week out to see if their record had been released. Finally, I tracked it down, and I was spellbound at the brutality inside in the grooves! They were pure DM, but there was also real songs too...Immense stuff! The internet and youTube is great, don't get me wrong, but it has slightly taken the anticipation out of buying music for me, as you can learn of a new band and immediately listen to them. Anyway, enough of me banging on! Keep the metal flowing! Rob
Incantation seems to be playing at the deep hell's cave towards evil environment sorrounded by demonic creatures in total darkness. Immolation is more technical with more variations, but I will stay with Incantation, because Incantation brings the listener to another dimension like Urfaust and The Ruins of Beverast.
Great video man, I have to say I'd give the edge to Immolation personally, Here in After, Failures for Gods, and Close To A World below are such powerhouses to me and still hold up today, it's absolutely incredible how both bands still deliver to this day, Atonement and Profane Nexus are some of their best work in years
Augscura Yeah, Atonement is their best album since Unholy Cult imo. As for Incantation, I never find the time to check their whole material, so I've only listened to Onward, Vanquish in vengeance and half of the last one and they are so good, I love the suffocating atmosphere, even though some of the songs or riffs sound too much alike.
cool stuffs dude,, its hard to make a choice between Immolation or Incantation, both are my favourite.. don't forget about immolation album Majesty and decay, thats cool album too. thank you for the review album its make me educated :)
Excellent, well-reasoned approach to the subject! You have obviously spent years listening to both these bands that has influenced your opinion. Saw both bands in 90's live and it's a hard pick, as they both bring unique elements to the table, but due to a highly nostalgic live performance in Vancouver, Incantation are the winner for me.
immolation....specifically with craig smilowski.....one of the most underrated drummers from that period.....very creative and original drum sound......
I suck and have never really spent any time with either band. However, my interest was piqued when you said Will Rahmer did some vocals on that one Incantation album. I just might check that out.... That being said, this is a rad video idea, and you should do more like it... Thanks!
I really and honestly preffer Inmolation for some many reasons but specifically because Inmolation's unique sound and its consistence and legacy through the years. Inmolation's Death metal has a very particular dark, technical but at the same time, brutal sound, these guys lyrics are fantastic too. Every single album comes with something more to offer. I like Brandon's Chanel! Its really cool. It'd be really hard to choose between Suffocation who are in my humble opinion, the creators of technical Death metal and Inmolation which Death metal sound has no comparison.
Immolation are for sure in my top 10 bands, if not in top 5. And that is lasting from like 93-94 when i first heard the first album. Excelent band, i still hope to see them live one day.
Great comparison, both bands are great. Can't say which one is better, I've enjoyed both. To their early material to the latest. They should form an one band with John on guitars and second vocalist and incan drummer, that can kill. The fisrt band I heard was Incantation and was really impressed. Hails!
I have a live Incantation CD called Blasphemy in Brazil. Pretty sure it's official, but it came out on a small label and I don't think it made it to Vinyl.
i was lucky to get into death metal in 89 used to go to tower records each week and buy stuff on the covers got them all still was such a good time! saw incantation other year at nwn fest in berlin monstrous set!
I have always done this same comparison with Immolation & Incantation. I also compare a certain two bands as well...Evoken & Esoteric. They both have stellar discographies, their names start with 'E' (not quite as similar as the Immolation/Incantation), have both been around since the early 90's (1992 & 1994) and both play funeral doom/death metal. I'm sure there are other bands that get these kind of comparisons as well...I just can't think of any right now haha! Cheers!
Incantation easily wins this. What immolation fans don’t get is what John was doing with Incantation. It is an abstraction of terrific layering and malevolent time signatures. I wrote off Incantation at first too. Most people are too swayed by easy to imbibe riffs. Like training wheels. Incantation is far more complex an overall concept than most bands in general let alone the death metal genre. Golgotha has it’s catchy moments but the deranged movements on that album as well as Mortal Throne dive into territory rarely visited by most bands. Though the “upon the throne” mix is better. Demonic incarnate. Ibex Moon. Emaciated holy figure are just straight up absurdities. Wretched structures and atmosphere. The part in Golgotha when Craig’s says “thy feeble savior”. You realize you are not in the game of memory riff territory. You are stuck in sonic limbo that feels otherworldly. Diabolical Conquest competes this overall domination of the Incantation idealism. Immolation has its technical merits. It’s production values. It’s memorable headbanging riffs. But they can’t touch things that Incantation have made. Not even in the same galaxy. That strange quivering riff during ibex moon when craig is oozing “indulgence is eternal” over the strange offbeat blastbeats. You realize you are not listening to your average metal with 4/4 signatures. You’ve wandered off into a void of emptiness. Thankfully Incantation finds moments like this on each record after the first three and thankfully much more often on the last three records. The break riff in ascending the eternal off vanquished is gross and beautiful at the same time.
last one i really enjoyed by immolation was shadows in past, massive sound. Diabolical conquest fav of all time, may have been first black/death album or death/black
I should expand on my previous comment, I love all of the Incantation records and I love most of the Immolation records, Incantation just do it heavier, and Craig Pillard is a monster on the microphone. Ross Dolan has incredible and evil vocals but something about Craig's early work just makes my bones tingle his voice is so fucked up good.
Immolation, no contest. While incantation does have a great vocalist, I prefer almost every aspect of Immolation from the vocalist, riffs and drums. In my opinion immolation does not have any mediocre albums. Every album is a B or higher. As a whole package I’d always go with Immolation over Incantation
Two of my favourite death metal bands. Also very innovative bands both key contributors(sometimes overlooked) to extreme death metal and brutal death metal. Incantation started the cavernous death metal style. And Immolation created a very demonic brand of death metal which a lot of bands would copy. They also contributed a little to the growing war metal style. Two amazing and innovative bands and probably two of the most copied bands since Carcass, death and Entombed
They arguably had 2 of the strongest Death Metal debuts. The others being Entombed, Deicide, Obituary, Suffocation, Vital Remains , Dismember, Unleashed, Grave , and Morbid Angel
great video man your content is always great. I personally prefer Immolation Dawn of Possession is one of my favorite Death Metal record of all time. I met both Ross and Robert this year as well really cool guys, keep up the good work stay metal brother 👍
Okay. Immolation for the consistency. I first discovered them opening for Cannibal Corpse on the "Vile" tour. They're still in my top 5 death metal bands of all time. Incantation definitely makes my top 10 without overthinking it. PS...Cannibal Corpse is still (always) number 1.
It's somewhat close for me, but I gotta give Immolation the edge on this one. Immolation is like a 9.5/10 death metal band for me, whereas Incantation is closer to a solid 8/10 and I think that's mainly because Immolation has a better overall discography in my eyes. Immolation's first 5 albums (especially CTAWB and all before it) are all stone cold classics to me, with some decent and some really good material thereafter... Whereas with Incantation it's more spotty, I really like Onward to Golgotha and Diabolical Conquest, but everything else is hit or miss. Some stuff on The Infernal Storm and Blasphemy is cool, but from there on it kinda takes a plunge for me (not a big death/doom fan I guess). Plus, I honestly have no idea what happened to the production on Mortal Throne of Nazarene, considering how much better OtG sounds by comparison. MToN could've been so much better sound wise (and I'm usually not such a snob about production in DM, but it bugs me on this one) and I think even the band agrees with that sentiment, considering they basically re-released it with alternate title and track list. All that said, I have to disagree with Scourge, simply because I feel Immolation's strength of overall discography outweighs Craig Pillard's vocals on a small portion of Incantation's discography (talented as he may be) - and as long as we're comparing performances, let's not forget that both Rob and Ross are inimitable in a live setting. Nobody plays/strangles/summons guitar like Rob and nobody does stage presence and stomps like Ross on bass. Both bands are great, Immolation is just a tad bit better in my opinion \m/
Exponentially easier as you go through the years and all their releases: Immolation. More variation but unific, always brutal, great at building tension and painting pictures of suspense, intrigue, and still just fuckin' evil. I know it's personal preference, but this is hard to deny.
While Immolation might have been more consistent and has a better record overall, I'll take Incantation's first two, Mortal Throne of Nazarene being my favorite, over any other death metal band out there (Diabolical Conquest is pretty good as well, but not the same without Craig). They're the two giants and put most bands to shame, especially at the time, and are one of the main reasons why I prefer USDM the most.
I honestly cannot pick a favorite between these two bands...... Part of me wants to say Immolation i guess, because I got into them first, but part of me wants to say Incan because I actually got to see them live just a couple weeks ago and, imho, was the fucking highlight of the gig they played with Cloak and Mayhem. But Bob Vigna is an absolute demon on the guitar.... Ugh. I'll say Immolation.
I always thought it was funny how these two bands were always compared to each other. Incantation is way more sinister sounding. They have that creepy wall of feedback sound.
I love both.... But I prefer Incantation. Their death/doom riffs are primitive and evil as fuck and Craig Pillard is one of the best DM vocalists. His vocals on their early albums are vicious and blasphemous
I gotta agree & say Incantation too I love immolations early material but to me honest I haven't seen em live yet where as i seen Incantation 3 times & it was all killer! When u said Incantation has groundbreaking parts in some of their songs u weren't kidding. There's OSDM revival bands copying Incantation sound today & it's great! Another thing I hate is when DM fans kiss ass to third rate bands like Deicide, Morbid Angel, obituary etc. When NYDM was bringing way better death metal to the table. U got Incantation, Mortician, Immolation, Suffocation, Baphomet, etc. Even Cali had sicker bands like Autopsy & Disgorge. Just my opinion. Cool video explaining the 2 bands
I prefer Immolation, although I used to be a huge fan of Incantation, with Onward To Golgotha being in my Top 10 albums of all time, but it's not anymore.
Tough choice but I'd pick Immolation as well. They've been a model of consistency for close to 3 decades. I love how their songs are technical yet they have the essence of musicality in them unlike the stuffs put out by most tech death bands today. As for the albums I'll go with Dawn of Possession closely followed by Mortal Throne of Nazarene - Craig Pillard's vocals on it was utterly baleful.
