IMMORTAL
“NORTHERN CHAOS GODS”
Album Review by Lloyd Parkinson

10/10

In 1991 Immortal took form in the town of Bergen in Norway and consisted of guitarist Demonaz and bassist/vocalist Abbath. 27 years later and Immortal have established themselves as the most important and influential “Black Metal” band in the history of the genre.  The band’s first full length albums, Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism, Pure Holocaust and Battles in The North were recorded with different session drummers before Horgh joined the band in 1996. The band then released “Blizzard Beasts”. Shortly after Demonaz was diagnosed with a major shoulder injury. He continued to work with the other members but stopped playing live with the band. Abbath then shifted from playing Bass to guitar and Immortal continued to write material with different bass players over the years and released the albums “At the Heart of Winter”, “Damned in Black” and “Sons of Northern Darkness”. In 2003, the band was put on hold but only a few years later returned to the stage in 2007 and consistently toured in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. In 2015, Immortal and Abbath parted ways. A few years after Abbath’s departure, Immortal have finally returned to the Black Metal spotlight with their new album; Northern Chaos Gods.

Immediately, the title track opens the album at a scorching pace. Demonaz doesn’t incorporate a lot of melody in his song writing and riffs but his playing is impeccable. He doesn’t explore technical playing, instead writing tasteful solos and incredibly fast tremolo picking. Horgh is an absolute machine on the drums, transitioning between icy fills and blast beats with ease, always keeping things diverse but never insisting on being the centre of attention. Immortal are savage and wild and keep the momentum going throughout this opener which locks in the listener from the very beginning. The second track “Battle Ride” takes things to the next level. It’s clear at this point that the band’s iconic sound is back and is clearly audible from the very start of this track. It’s very similar to two of their most successful albums; “Pure Holocaust” and “Battles in The North”. Demonaz’s vocal style is a big surprise on this track. Its completely relentless and pure second wave “Black Metal” at it’s very finest.

The forth track “Grim and Dark” is proof that Immortal haven’t just wrote this album for the sake of it. They really do mean it. There are tons of tremolos, fiery riffs and a lot of double bass. The chorus is one of the heaviest on the album and its followed by savage guitar work and menacing blasts on the drums. There is also a cool solo that is showcased and its fits really well due to not being too overdone.  “Where Mountains Rise” is very different to the rest of the tracks and is certainly the stand out track on this album. It sounds like it’s just came off “At the Heart of Winter. It begins with a very melodic and harmonic intro and then shifts into a classic Immortal style riff that fans have come to love over the years. The track isn’t majorly fast but the melody is what makes it so atmospheric. “Blacker of Worlds” truly showcases Demonaz’s impeccable vocal delivery and musicianship. The drums are super straightforward on this track but there is an impressive double bass section towards the end of the song that proves what Horgh can really do on the drums.

Immortal have been consistent with their music over the years and have always produced enjoyable “Black Metal” albums so labelling Northern Chaos Gods as a “comeback” album makes little sense. This album is more of an illustrious continuation of Immortal’s early days together with the triumphant return of Demonaz. His lyrics have always been a consistent element of the band’s history so his more prominent involvement and leadership with Immortal has proven as a reawakening for the creative writing process. Northern Gods Chaos is the exhilarating release that the Norwegians needed, capturing all the elements of classic Immortal. There is not one bad song or filler on this entire album. It is just 8 chaotic tracks of pure Norwegian darkness with colossal riffs and evil brutality that resonates throughout the entire album. It would seem that Abbath’s departure has given Immortal a new lease of life and the opportunity for Demonaz to carve a new path for the band. Northern Chaos Gods is an incredible album and an impeccable addition to the Immortal chronicle.

BAND LINE-UP

Demonaz
Horgh
Apollyon

TRACKLIST

1. Northern Chaos Gods
2. Into Battle Ride
3. Gates to Blashyrkh
4. Grim and Dark
5. Called to Ice
6. Where Mountains Rise
7. Blacker of Worlds
8. Mighty Ravendark

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