Immortal Albums (8)
What The Critics Say
Norwegian black metal band Immortal were always a little ahead of their peers; even on primitive early albums like Pure Holocaust and Battles in the North, they had a gift for anthemic melody that came through the almost bassless, lo-fi production. When they shifted into high gear with 1999's classic At the Heart of Winter, combining the hard-charging black metal of the early albums with the crushing thrash of German acts like Destruction and Kreator, they became one of the best metal bands around, regardless of genre. They released two more equally impressive albums -- Damned in Black and Sons of Northern Darkness -- then called it a day. Seven years later, they returned with a truly epic statement that's one of the best metal releases of 2009. The production on All Shall Fall is a thousand miles from the caveman blare of Battles in the North; they're making truly larger-than-life music as befits their pro-wrestler/barbarian-warrior image. They're writing even better riffs than before, too; "The Rise of Darkness" and "Norden on Fire" add a post-punk flavor, almost reminiscent of early Killing Joke, to their raucous metal barrages. The guitar solos are excellent, too, supported by crushing double bass drumming from Horgh, and the judicious deployment of sound effects (the charging horses on "Hordes of War," for example, or the blowing winter winds on "Mount North") makes the album even more dramatic and absorbing. As with all of Immortal's work, a frigid cold seems to blow from the speakers with every note. This is music of such unrelenting and merciless power, you might not even notice how vocalist/guitarist Abbath occasionally sounds quite a bit like Popeye the Sailor. ~ Phil Freeman, All Music Guide
'Sons of Northern Darkness'
Release Date 1/1/2002
Tracks 8
Label Nuclear Blast
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Immortal's Nuclear Blast debut, and this Norwegian trio's seventh album to date, Sons of Northern Darkness, marks a monumental statement that reverberates throughout the black metal community. Sons of Northern Darkness is arguably one of the best black metal releases ever put forth, as it fully articulates what many other bands of this nature fail to embrace. Thick, meaty riffs dominate the album, as guitarist Abbath shreds the competition with mind-blowing melody and relentlessly brutal power. Abbath also controls vocal duty, and though his voice is darkly sinister, it holds a slight fringe of harmony that fleshes out each song. Add to that Iscariah's fiendish bass playing underlying Sons of Northern Darkness with an evil authority, while Horge's drumming decimates the competition with jackhammer beats. The fantastical lyrics allow the band to venture into fictitious territory, and each song carries the feeling that you are witnessing a marvelous novel unfold in front of your eyes. Songs like the epic "Tyrants" build to an earth-shattering crescendo of outlandish noise, yet one is never left disappointed. Sons of Northern Darkness is a masterpiece that any fan of black metal should own, yet also has an undeniable flair that even new listeners can find appealing. ~ Jason D. Taylor, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
And Immortal treks on through bitter, icy landscapes, quietly and efficiently becoming (arguably) the most inspired and important band in black metal. Damned in Black is the second album of Immortal's hellish Holy Trinity, released between creative breakthrough At the Heart of Winter and well-honed masterpiece Sons of Northern Darkness. In comparison, Damned in Black strikes one as being the family's nasty, spiteful little brother, sounding slightly rushed, unkempt, and panicky, with whirlwind blastbeats more prominent in the arrangements. But the album benefits from this approach; it's an angrier, more fiery record, especially during barnburners "Triumph," "My Dimension," and "In Our Mystic Visions Blest," which nod respectfully toward the band's speed-drenched early days, albeit with the more balanced, well-crafted songwriting skills of latter-day Immortal. "Against the Tide (In the Arctic World)," "The Darkness That Embrace Me," and the title track are more melodic and grandly epic, complex but never unwieldy. Immortal's greatest strength is their well-conceived instrumental approach -- it's never self-indulgent or fanciful, always memorable, and only living to serve the song. Producer Peter Tagtgren has seen many of his Scandinavian brethren through the doors of his Abyss Studios, but he's never gelled with any group quite like Immortal, giving the band a robust, deceptively simple, and consistently devastating mix. Ultimately, Damned in Black proves that this Norwegian trio -- still admirably clinging to their traditional evil Kiss makeup -- prays only to their armor-clad, bullet-belted metal muse. While it will most likely be overlooked considering Immortal's brightest and deadliest moments came before and after it (respectively), Damned in Black proves to be just as powerful as anything else in the band's increasingly impressive canon. ~ John Serba, All Music Guide
'At the Heart of Winter'
Release Date 3/15/1999
Tracks 6
Label Osmose Productions
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
At the Heart of Winter marks the beginning of Immortal's second incarnation, paring the band down to the duo of Abbath Doom Occulta and Horgh after the departure of guitarist and founding member Demonaz Doom Occulta due to severe tendonitis in his arms. Thus, Abbath alone took over six-string and songwriting duties (although Demonaz still contributed his trademark fantastical war- and winter-themed lyrics), and Immortal progressed beyond their blurry, hyperspeed, under-produced past into muscular metal maturity, melding frostbitten Norwegian black metal with the intricate riffing and tempo changes of German thrash. Which isn't to say the group abandoned blastbeats or Abbath's throaty reptilian croak; within the lengthy, creatively arranged epics "Withstand the Fall of Time," "Years of Silent Sorrow," and "Tragedies Blows at Horizon" lies a balance of battle-ready blitzkrieg and grandiose, anthemic melodies only hinted at in Immortal's previous output (see "Mountains of Might" on the preceding album, Blizzard Beasts). The material lends breathing room to the drums, with skin-pounder Horgh adding to the album's majestic feel with a diverse, organic performance. At the Heart of Winter also found Immortal forging their relationship with head Hypocrisy honcho/producer Peter Tagtgren and his Abyss Studios, which gives the album a thick, weighty mix that complements the group's inspired songwriting. The result is a clarity and focus that few purveyors of the genre succeeded at finding, a painstakingly organized assemblage of black metal's base elements into a disciplined purity of metal that prefers the power of the almighty riff instead of the occasionally overblown classical structuring of much-lauded stalwarts Emperor and Cradle of Filth or the strange experimentation that Mayhem and Arcturus would undertake. At the Heart of Winter should sway even black metal naysayers into the Immortal camp, provided they can look past the bandmembers' gimmicky face paint and silly posturing in the CD booklet photos and embrace the majestic metal within. ~ John Serba, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Blizzard Beasts, Immortal's third album, should be chalked up as a transitional album in the band's mighty career, being the last to feature guitarist and founding member Demonaz (he quit after a bout with tendonitis); bassist/vocalist Abbath would take over six-string and songwriting duties, ultimately leading the band out of blastbeat hell and across more broad-scoped, epic terrain. Still, the record is brilliant when compared to similar Norwegian black metal acts mired in ludicrous "necro" aesthetics. "Nebular Ravens Winter," "Suns That Sank Below," and "Frostdemonstorm" offer a few decent riffs and solid arrangements, and six-minute epic "Mountains of Might" leans toward the black metal-by-way-of-German-thrash genius of subsequent albums. ~ John Serba, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Battles in the North, Immortal's third razor-caked candy bar, is considered by many to be one of black metal's defining moments. Like its highly regarded, slower, and slightly less-focused predecessor, Pure Holocaust, Battles in the North is a furious, somewhat under-produced, unrelenting assault of blastbeats, demon-reptile vocals, and buzzing guitars assembled for one reason only: to unleash the misbegotten souls of frozen Norwegian landscapes into glorious battle against all things remotely commercial or accessible, taking no prisoners. The result is ten blurry tracks of hyper-tempo blackness that somehow corral melody within a constant rhythmic pummel, especially on bona fide classic cuts "Circling Above in Time Before Time" and "Blashyrkh (Mighty Ravendark)." Never before had such anti-production benefited an album's theme, the sometimes-indiscernible wash of guitars and blasting drums invoking visions of whiteout blizzards, with only vocalist Abbath Doom Occulta's creepy croak -- spewing startlingly effective and poetic English-as-a-second-language war imagery -- able to permeate such dense instrumental storms. Oh, and the title track may just be the most devastating, skin-filleting shriek of black metal pain ever to emanate from Scandinavia's wintry clime. Snicker at their frowny-faced corpse-paint makeup if you must, but Immortal is all business, all metal, all the time, and undeniably so; if a demented grin creeps across the listener's face, it's more from the realization that these painted Norwegians are truly off their rockers, hopelessly devoted to their unwavering creation. Battles in the North is an album that set Immortal apart from their black metal brethren, boasting a consistency of theme and an instrumental efficiency matched by few within the genre, never bowing to pretension (see Emperor's keyboard-ridden classical influences) or pointlessly kowtowing to the ridiculous mores of the "true black metal" underground (see Darkthrone's nigh-unlistenable, garage-tape-quality catalog). Immortal had invented their own frostbitten niche, devoting their mortal soul to metal, and after Battles in the North, there was no turning back. ~ John Serba, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
While black metal has certainly become clichéd, there are artists out there who manage to salvage the integrity of the genre. Immortal is one of these bands. On Pure Holocaust, dark, technically advanced, powerful, and challenging riffs propel the songs forward through a myriad of blasting drumbeats. Yet surprisingly, the album also conveys a gentler ambience in sections, without the use of a trite "gothic" aesthetic. The ambiguous emotional quality, unique style, and heart-pumping rhythms are all reasons to purchase this. ~ Marc van der Pol, All Music Guide
'Diabolical Full Moon Mysticism'
Release Date 1/1/1992
Tracks 7
Label The End
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Immortal's debut, Diabolical Full Moon Mysticism, presents the germ of a soon-to-be-great black metal outfit -- and, as one would expect, it's as rancid and unholy as other early Norse efforts, albeit a hair more melodic and listenable than some of its peers. Here, the group hasn't yet developed the songwriting dynamics and musicianship showcased on later efforts; the unkempt production leaves bass back in the dank caves from whence Immortal emerged, the drums and guitars boast a garage-worthy echo, and the nondescript death vocals are buried amidst the rubble. Riff-wise, Diabolical betrays an American death metal influence (before the band's truly Scandinavian heart froze), and guitarist Demonaz utilizes acoustic guitars during poorly conceptualized intros and interludes -- two elements the band would discard on the excellent follow-up, Pure Holocaust, which introduced the barely controlled blizzard-blastbeat mastery that would become the band's trademark. Still, "The Call of the Wintermoon" and epic death trudge "A Perfect Vision of the Rising Northland" are, in retrospect, a logical introduction to Immortal's (eventually) admirably unwavering vision. Black metal completists will most appreciate the raw opening chapter of this highly influential outfit's mighty saga, although one's time is much better spent with subsequent albums. ~ John Serba, All Music Guide
