Four and a half years after Northern Chaos Gods, something stirs in the Norwegian town of Bergen. The return of one of the seminal black metal bands of the 1990s, Immortal rise proud and strong, full of defiance with the tenth studio album, War Against All. Composed and performed by Demonaz Doom Occulta, produced by Arve Isdal and mastered by Iver Sandøy at Solslottet, it’s a ferocious eight track release that is instantly recognisable.
The thunderous title track is the ideal opener, with its high tempo and driving rhythms. A pulsing, demonic fury, Demonaz’s trademark croaking roars echo above the huge drum sound and screaming guitar work. It’s a soundtrack to a storm of biblical proportions. The return to Blashyrkh has begun.
What follows is an avalanche of classic Immortal. The punishing relentless battery of “Thunders of Darkness” is unstoppable, with blistering speed, and almost feral rage. Then there’s the majestic stomp of the already released “Wargod,” which is anthemic and cloaked in darkness. It’s a change of dynamic which works well after the onslaught that opens the album.
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“No Sun” brings the chilling cold whistling across the icy forests, whilst there is opportunity for brief respite before the aural assault of “Return to Cold” drops the temperature still further. This one has a slightly different groove, which underpins the track but still retains the grit and sharpness. Centrepiece to the album is the majestic “Nordlandihr”, a rolling seven-minute epic that cascades like a waterfall through the album. A pulsing instrumental, it’s a joy to hear Demonaz in full flight, and regardless of your views, this is a neat piece that solidifies the release.
Two tracks to go and they don’t get any less intense. “Immortal” arrives at long last, the band’s eponymous track committed to record at last. But the finale is worth the wait as the best song on the entire record arrives in the form of “Blashyrkh My Throne”, which casts a long and dark shadow over the entire release. It’s huge, sinister, anthemic, and a fitting way to conclude an album that stands alongside their latter day works with ease.
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War Against All is out on May 26th
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