Heard the whole album myself yesterday, there's some cool ideas scattered on it but I couldn't help feeling that most of the tracks sound the same and repetitive :/ they've definitely lost something in the sound with the exit of Abbath, anyone else feel the same? I would rate the album 6/10.

Aside from the opening track, nothing really reminds me of the band's earlier stuff. Mweh.

To me it is an excellent bm album. Nothing new but very capable. I think I'll listen to this a lot.

Thanks, guys!

one listen through, it's ok. i think this will grow on me a bit then i'll stop listening to it and go back to diabolical fullmoon mysticism

Its a a back to the roots so it can be considered a predictable album. I have yet to check the rest but these two songs may be predictable but they are great.

Those two songs are probably the only back to the roots ones I can think of on the album, though I found it all pretty forgettable.

I can't think of anything more mismatched than Immortal releasing a new record in fucking JULY. Maybe it's the heatwave that is melting Canada, but I just can't get into this right now. Don't get me wrong, I am elated about the weather; I LOVE heat so I can wait until the fall to dive into this.

Just gave the whole thing a spin and was quite positively surprised by it.

It's not a masterpiece or anything close, but still makes for a pleasant listening now and then, and it does bring some good old Immortal memories back with it. Good for the occasional nostalgia kick.

metalheads on/using itunes.

It's so their antipodean fanbase can enjoy the bitter Australian winter with some icy new Immortal tunes.

I think some of you guys should give it another listen or 2... I can usually tell immediately how much I like an album or not, but this one kind of just passed by the first time, partially because I was driving and people in the car were talking and then I listened to the other half at the gym, being interrupted a few times. Aside from the title track I'd probably say songs 5-8 are the "best" although song 2 is a pretty good 1-2 punch with the title track. There are plenty of riffs, and lyrics/references to early albums and plenty of ATHoW and SoND in there too. "Where Mountains Rise" and Mighty Ravendark may be their best epic tracks ever. Where Mountains Rise is a bit more medium-aggressive and I just don't know how someone could not like this song! Mighty Ravendark really grew on me once I listened to it a couple more times and it's quite obviously a continuation of the original closer to Battles. I dunno, I think the overall complete package and attitude of the album is totally awesome.

is it just me or do tracks 2 - 8 all start on the same note

This is sounding great. Where Mountains Rise is fucking epic. From what I can make out of the lyrics, they pretty much all seem to be Manowar-esque self references.

"RETURN THE CALL OF THE WINTERMOOOOOON!"

I don't know, it both sounds like Immortal, and doesn't. The riffs seem a lot plainer, often it just sounds like Demonaz strumming simple bar chords. There is some movement but not as much as with Abbath. I'm on my 3rd full listen, and I quite like it but there hasn't been anything that really leapt out at me. I don't really think the Doom Occulta brothers have made much quality since the I album, and that was over a decade ago; All Shall Fall and Abbath's album were both pretty dull for me; I always expect/hope for another AthoW, but that ain't gonna happen.

His voice though; sounds pretty cool but SO Abbath-like, slightly Uncanny Valley shit here.

Probably something like 7/10, but that might drop.

Pretty natural if all the songs are in the same key.


This is the "Force Awakens" of Immortal albums, and I'm personally fine with that as this is a comeback album. It's a fun heavy metal album, just steak and potatoes with a great sauce and totally aware of it, nothing less, nothing more.

I am just checking out the album on YouTube and it is less fast and chaotic than expected/promised, but it seems to be a quite good album. So far the greatest tracks are "Northern Chaos Gods", "Blacker of Words", "Where Mountains" and "Mighty Ravendark". Its much more closer to Sons of Northern Darkness/At the Heart of Winter than Pure Holocaust but I am totally fine with it. It has some touches of that era but mixed with the later era.

I obviously need to listen to the full thing in the correct order but so far I like it much more than Abbath´s solo album.

Bit the bullet and bought the cd from my local dealer today; so far I'm not regretting it at all.

On the contrary, this is the exact type of black metal I love to blast while driving around in the summer. Simple, straightforward second-wave created by some of its progenitors. Not sure why people here were expecting Immortal to do something revolutionary; not every album needs to reinvent the genre. This is what it is, and it rocks.

I enjoyed this on the first listen. I know how the premiere tracks got me used to the rawer sound, but it's astonishing how wrong it was to assume this would be some kind of March of the Norse II.

So it’s nots BitN part 2. I don’t care. This has everything I love about Immortal and I feel like it’ll grow into a year end best list. It’s not the best Immortal album but it certainly is a worthy Immortal album.

*edit* Called to Ice is a banger. Love it!

Yeah, fucking love that song and the lyrics, especially the one you quoted


Pretty accurate on all counts, those are probably the 4 best songs even though all 8 are very worthwhile.

Exactly, I think "reinventing" would be a huge mistake honestly.

Great album, but it seems somebody in the band listened to a lot of Iron Maiden, there are nods to the masters all over the album. That is not a complaint.

Totally agree. I enjoyed it on first listen, but none of the tracks more than I enjoyed the first two released track. Then on second listen two other songs stuck out.

Now on third listen and honestly, I find it to be an incredibly rewarding album.

Also agree, I hear LOTS of every one of their old albums. In my mind this is the spiritual successor to Sons of Northern Darkness, and who knows, it might even topple that album for me eventually.

I think it's pretty damn good. No, it doesn't reinvent the wheel, but I certainly like it better than All Shall Fall. This one just sounds more inspired and has more genuine energy to it.

This past week I listened to the entire Immortal catalog in preparation for this album. The first single impressed me and I could instantly recognize the Demonaz style.

Now that the album is out and I've had a couple of listens, I would say it sounds like it could have been released between Blizzard Beasts and At The Heart Of Winter. It's sufficiently fast, with Demonaz' style of trem picking and overdriven power chords, while the production is thicker and closer to that of ATHOW.

I must say many of the riffs at first remind me of prior Immortal songs, so it's probably not the most creative of albums, but certainly a welcome release after 9 years of nothing.

I have to say, I’ve been listening to the record a lot since it came out. I love it! It’s fast, frosty BM. Definitely closer to the older material than the newer stuff, in my opinion.

For the record, I was not impressed with All Shall Fall or Abbath’s solo record so take my opinion how you will, but I quite like it.

Who knew "Grim and Dark" would be a defining moment in this album. Immortal is killer as always.

The albums, after three or four listens, is a enjoyable one throughout. However there is nothing new. It is mostly a rehash of old ideas. I haven't heard all of Immortals back catalogue but this sounds like someone trying to rip everything that made At the Heart of Winter one of the best albums ever. It obviously doesn't reach that high but it doesn't fail either. I realize that I sound more critical than I actually am. It's a fine album.

I've played it a few times this week (up to 4 full listens, maybe), I like it a fair bit. It's definitely better than their last album and Demonaz's solo album. People are right in saying that it's nothing new, I kind of struggle to think how Immortal might push the boat out now, really. However, I wonder if it's just part of the band mentality of having to prove themselves without the other Doom Occulta "brother"? It's great to hear Demonaz back on guitar and Horgh's drums are better than ever. I hope they strike while the iron is hot and get another album out sooner rather than later.

The first time I listened through it, it didn't grab me to be honest. But seriously, after listening to it over and over again - this is some very tight music. Some tracks, like "Into Battle Ride", "Called to Ice", and especially "Northern Ravendark" may be among the greatest Immortal tracks OVERALL.
If course it's only my humble opinion, but I love the energy and riff patterns in the faster songs - and the slower/more epic songs are really quite beautiful. From 04:01 and onwards in "Northern Ravendark" is simply outstanding.
Even if some of the music sounds familiar to other albums made by them, it's Immortal, and that's the way it should sound. I'm sure people would complain if this was something totally new as well, and say how this isn't how Immortal should sound.

I think it's pretty fantastic! It's been in my ears every time I commute to work this week, and it keeps growing on me. It has the best elements of past Immortal, the super-fast Blashyrkh blizzard storm is there, mostly in the 1st two tracks, but it also goes epic thrashing riffs in the later parts of the album, culminating with the epic Bathory-esque Mighty Ravendark!!
The vocals are the best of all their albums in my opinion, Abbath's croaking vocals was ever a barrier to entry for me, but Demonaz sounds a bit like Abbath when Abbath did those shrieking high vocals on earlier albums. Good stuff.
I agree with the general consensus that there is nothing really new here, but I don't think it attempts to be either, I mean just look at the song titles. It's a solid Immortal album, their best since Battles in the North as far as I'm concerned.
Definitely a top 10 for 2018 so far.

I think the album is fantastic. Yeah, it doesn't revolutionize either the genre or the band but it doesn't have to as long as the music rocks as hard as this. It would be awesome to hear an Immortal album with Abbath back now that Demonaz is playing guitars again. Imagine all the sick riffs they could conjure together while sharing vocal duties.

won't happen. didn't you follow the trademark backstory to this?

.

Absolute let down. I've continued to listen throughout the week and found it really lacklustre. Horrible vocals that sound like Demonaz just ripping off Abbath- why would he do that? He does not sound like he did on his own shitty Demonaz album. Its like he has asked the producer to make him sound as close to Abbath as possible; I simply do not see the point in that. Really simple songs with very little in the way of icy melody or atmosphere. Drumming is boring and typical, Horghe has never been interesting but he seems sleepy on this one. Lyrics are worse than usual.

Sounds like an Immortal cover band and kinda dilutes their legacy. One of my favorite bands, but not in this incarnation. For Demonaz to kick out the vocalist and lead guitarist and than imitate that guys voices- sort of boggles the mind.

To me, it is sub-par and would sit at about 6/10 if that.

FWIW, I thought Abbath's album was poor too.



I just don't really buy that you can hear this guys "style" on the new album. It is very simple, he seems to be just strumming chords with very little tremelo picking or lead riffing, how is that a "style" (overdriven power chords would simply define metal) and how is it similar to stuff recorded 25 years ago? Pure Holocaust and Battles feature a bit more movement and character to the riffing, there are lots of hidden layers of notes under the riffs. This album does not sound like those albums.

Sorry to jump on your remarks but I read a lot of people claiming this album is a return to the 'old Immortal'. To say a band has returned to something they already did 2 decades ago is criticism in my opinion, and it isn't really borne out by the music.

Probably the worst album I've heard with the Immortal name of it.

While I doesn't sound like those albums (20 years after he last played on an Immortal album). I can style definitely hear Demonaz's style; it's changed somewhat and they don't do those really crazy riffs anymore but I think that's just what Immortal are nowadays. There's a really cool interview on the bottom of this Blabbermouth article:

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/demona ... -that-one/

Some nice history on the band. Demonaz is still respectful of his Doom Occulta brother.

This guy's podcast is really good, though, he interviewed one of Cradle of Filth's old guitarists (his name escapes me) and the interviews just tend to be very in-depth and knowledgable.

As a 22+ year fan of Immortal I could not disagree more with your statement. I think this album contains a lot of the hallmarks of Immortal’s sound and progression throughout the years. I found the atmosphere absolutely icy cold. Demonaz has an uncanny resemblance to Abbath’s vocals on the earlier material pre-AtHoW and I think Horgh sounds the best I’ve heard him, super crisp but punchy and complementary. I’m looking forward to my vinyl coming in.

@Acidgoblin I'm just curious what your favorite Immortal album is? I find it really hard to believe you can't at least like some of the songs like Where Mountains Rise and Blacker of Worlds. I'm pretty sure Demonaz didn't kick Abbath out, it was more like Abbath kicked himself out. I respect your opinion and won't argue, but there's no way in hell that this is their worst album! That honor goes to All Shall Fall without compromise! Also the Demonaz album was great, just not what most of us wanted/expected.


@Acrobat Need to read that interview still, I feel like sometime in the past week or 2 Abbath listened to the new Immortal album and was in a confused state of being proud of Demonaz, regretting he left, and probably crying a little

Oh yeah, All Shall Fall was incredibly average . . . but I still prefer it to this new one.

My favorite album- damn, that's tough. Honestly, I love everything from Pure Holocaust through to Sons of Northern Darkness, though Pure Holocaust and At The Heart . . . are my favorites. Though, I am also a big fan of Blizzard Beasts so maybe I just have weird taste

I just don't see much good in a band attempting to return to a sound that has long since passed them by. And, for that mattter, I don't really see it as a return- its an album that sounds a bit like Immortal used to.