As the man behind the death-metal drum kit since 2003 for New York-based band Immolation, Ohio native Steve Shalaty has seen his fair share of trends within the industry, progression in the extreme metal subgenre of heavy metal — and shown the type of perseverance that enabled him to only miss one show after breaking his leg.
Now locked, loaded and rarin’ to go during a pandemic era that has stymied the majority of bands’ ability to tour and changed the way they make their albums to a certain degree, Shalaty and Immolation will drop 11th record Acts of God on Feb. 18 via Nuclear Blast Records. They’ll headline Come And Take It Live in Austin on Sat. Feb. 26 with guests Imperial Triumphant and Mortiferum (tickets here).
Co-founded by singer/bassist Ross Dolan and guitarist/video mastermind Bob Vigna, the group debuted with 1991’s Dawn of Possession and hasn’t looked back. Each Immolation album Shalaty has played on has included the production expertise of Paul Orofino, known for working with classic-rock bands such as Blue Oyster Cult and Golden Earring but who has also purified the sound for which Immolation is known. Acts of God, which also features the addition of guitarist Alex Bouks, who joined in 2016, marks the group’s first recording effort since 2017’s Atonement.
Shalaty graciously went “Into the Pit” today to discuss a variety of topics in addition to the forthcoming album and tour. Click the videos below to watch new singles “The Age of No Light” and “Apostle,” then watch our entire conversation (cover photo courtesy: Nuclear Blast Records).