This is the seventh album from the Norwegian black metal band
Immortal. The band is one of the few old black metal bands which has managed to survive.
Immortal is known for its uncompromising, dark and heavy sound, and the new album is no exception. The lyrics are as always about the long forgotten Northern warriors of the past - and the music in general has a really Northern, "icy" and almost majestic feel to it. I visualize glaciers, snowstorms and Vikings when I listen to this album.
Abbath has taken over the guitar from Demonaz because of some problems with Demonaz' hand. Abbath still does the vocals and Demonaz now only writes the lyrics - it is a shame but Abbath does a really good job. The vocals have not changed a bit, and they are as extreme as always.
Having heard this album a zillion times already, I become more and more convinced that this is truly the best
Immortal album. The music is still very extreme - but in a new and very interesting way. There are more slow and really heavy passages on the album, and the songs are more varied than ever before. There has also been incorporated some thrash guitar riffs in the music - it makes the general sound more broad and accessible. The music is very atmospheric, and as I mentioned before it really brings forth images in ones mind - that is not something I experience with much metal music to such an extent.
Let's take a look at some of these masterpieces, shall we?
One by One is the opener, and it is a fast track with some very heavy guitar riffs. Horgh plays the drums really well in this track too. The song is about the old Northern warriors - One by one we took your lives.
Tyrants is another great song, and it is quite different from
One by One. Most of the song is very slow (relative to the usual "insane-paced" songs) and it is very heavy - almost doom-like. There is great flow and inventiveness throughout the track.
In My Kingdom Cold is the most varied song on the album, and it really could be categorized as hybrid metal mixing black, doom and thrash. The last minute of the song is some of the most heavy black metal I have ever heard - it is awesome. My favorite track on the album is called
Antarctica - it has a long and really great keyboard intro where you can hear the wind blowing in the background. The guitar riff that follows this intro is amazing, and it is repeated throughout the rest of the track.
Immortal has always been one of the most extreme black metal bands in my mind, but I am not sure I still have that opinion. They have undeniably become accessible for more people; I remember when I first heard Battles In The North - it took a very long time before the melodies became clear to my ears. When I first heard Sons Of Northern Darkness, on the other hand, I was sold immediately.
This is how black metal should sound! I rate the album 10/10 since I can't find anything bad to say about it.
Best Songs: Antarctica, In My Kingdom Cold, One by One, Tyrants, Sons Of Northern Darkness
Written by
Anders Wednesday, September 11, 2002
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