After 24 mostly active years, eight albums, endless loads of riffs, all of the winter playlists, and oodles of crab walks, Immortal has decided to go out on their own terms and call it quits…
…is what we would love to say about what just happened. In reality, Abbath (Doom Occulta) has decided to “move on” from Immortal to avoid a potentially bitter dispute over the band name, to which he was attempting to gain sole control. Whether or not Demonaz (Doom Occulta) and Horgh attempt to continue under that moniker remains to be seen, but for most of us, this signals the end of Immortal.
Not that they haven’t overcome roadblocks before. After all, Immortal survived Demonaz’s severe tendonitis in the late 90s, which led to him giving up the guitar and focusing on the band’s lyrics. However, this merely shifted more of the musical responsibility focus from Demonaz to Abbath, and the band evolved to survive, moving to less cacophonous “arena black metal” beginning around the turn of the millennium.
Throughout all of this, the band simply delivered. Even within their two main eras there existed variety: Pure Holocaust was far more atmospheric than the relentless, violent Battles in the North, while the epic, otherworldly vibes of At the Heart of Winter were mixed in with an increasing love for the RAWK. Over these eight albums, Immortal never wrote a stinker. Sure, Blizzard Beasts boasts one of the most puzzling productions ever for a veteran band, but even that stands the test of time for more than just simple listening pleasures. Plus, beyond their huge musical pedigree, the band was a constant hoot, seemingly reveling in their status as a living, breathing meme.
So in honor of this legacy, here are 13 favorites from the Last Rites crew. As our own Mr. Obstkrieg put it, “Every Immortal song is a special snowflake,” and this of course is merely a snapshot from a killer catalog. Whether or not they are really done remains to be seen, but this unsure future is no excuse to not take one last wintry, frostbitten, unholy, mountain-hearted, moonlit, tyrannical, and grim journey into the stormy realm of Blashyrkh.
This BLECH’s on us.
[ZACH DUVALL]
•••••
ONE BY ONE
[Sons of Northern Darkness, 2002]When I first heard the opening riff to “One By One,” I thought it was twelve notes. It’s not; it’s twenty-four. Immortal is like that, particular on Sons of Northern Darkness. Everything is about twice as fast as you can imagine it, twice as catchy as it has any right to be. Abbath croaks out Demonaz’s lyrics about northern warriors with conviction, and the guitars buzz and hum like live electrical current. Whether grooving or raging, “One By One” never fails to delight. It is an ice sculpture meticulously carved with safety razors.
[KEITH ROSS]
•••••
CRYPTIC WINTERSTORMS
[Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism, 1992]It’s easy to see Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism as a cute first try, a crude approximation of the blizzard-level ferocity Immortal would soon master. And to be honest, there’s more than a little truth to that. But still, if you give a close listen to the album’s finest moment, “Cryptic Winterstorms,” do you know what you can hear? You can almost hear At the Heart of Winter and Sons of Northern Darkness. The seeds of the most frostily triumphant and sadly marching songs of Immortal’s career – think “Beyond the North Waves,” “Years of Silent Sorrow,” or “In My Kingdom Cold” – were planted here. Buttressed by Necrolord-blue acoustic guitars and some of Abbath’s rawest vocals, “Cryptic Winterstorms” just ain’t too g.d. shabby for a bunch of fire-breathing kids.
[DANHAMMER OBSTKRIEG]
•••••
BATTLES IN THE NORTH
[Battles in the North, 1995]The entirety of Immortal’s musical spectrum basically fits between the distant, sorrowful melodies of tracks like “Beyond the North Waves” and their ultimately violent, blasting black metal, as exemplified by the iconic title track on Battles in the North. To call this merely unrelenting is to say the Immortal boys only occasionally ham it up for the camera—a gross understatement. Everything here is forced to its limit; the buzzing guitar tones, blast beats, and bass all become a sort of dense front line of war, while Abbath’s vocals are so inhuman that he’s pronouncing the T sound in “battles” with the back of his throat. This unholy racket should alienate the listener. Instead, it’s as irresistibly fun as anything else in truly extreme metal.
[ZACH DUVALL]
•••••
A SIGN FOR THE NORSE HORDES TO RIDE
[Pure Holocaust, 1993]Two minutes and thirty five seconds. That’s how long it takes 700 tons of razored ice to avalanche from the very tippy-top of Galdhøpiggen’s most majestic peak and directly into your big, fat, stupid face at 700,000 miles per hour. And if your body wasn’t too busy frost-exploding into ten trillion pieces, you might’ve caught a quick glimpse of the absurd Norse horde that somehow managed to ride atop that murderous glacial landslide. But no, you’re dead. Dead at the hands of black metal’s most quintessential lesson in frozen fucking ferocity. “A Sign for the Norse Hordes to Ride” is a masterstroke of hyper hyperborean havoc.
[MICHAEL WUENSCH]
•••••
WRATH FROM ABOVE
[Damned in Black, 2000]Damned in Black probably doesn’t spring to mind as the best Immortal album, but it remains my favorite. Abbath got in touch with his thrashy side and a torrent of superlative buzzing blizzardry was the result. Wreathed in raucous cascades of chromatic madness, “Wrath From Above” epitomizes the album’s tightly focused attack. All manner of mystical rhythmic devices are deployed, providing transportation for god-level riffage. Abbath’s vocals ride this storm with the customary panache, showmanship, and all the croaking hooks. Fuck, I love Immortal.
[ATANAMAR SUNYATA]
•••••
SOLARFALL
[At the Heart of Winter, 1999]For a tune about an icy end to our world, “Solarfall” sure-as-hell sounds, well, TRIUMPHANT. The secret is in how it constantly seems to be climbing higher with perpetual momentum, as if the band is actually fighting an uphill battle against its foes… and conquering. Horgh’s drumming is as key to this vibe as the riffs, with his hammering tones adding far more than just battery. Sure, the tune takes a bit of quiet time to foretell some doom, but this ultimately only serves to enhance the feelings of domination. Why place such sounds around subject matter this bleak? Well, it’s Immortal, and they would certainly view the transformation of Earth into a mythical frozen realm as a massive win for frostdemonkind.
[ZACH DUVALL]
•••••
MOUNTAINS OF MIGHT
[Blizzard Beasts, 1997]Every song on Blizzard Beasts sounds like it was recorded in a different studio, in a different corner of Blashrykh. “Mountains of Might” stands atop this bizarre audio bazaar as a beacon of all that is righteous. Walk right past the intro’s cheesebag keys and feast your ears on the best goddamn riffs upon this plane of existence. Breathe in the impossibly alluring, ice-cold tremolations. Sacrifice your soul to the blizzard-thrashing, warp speed riff-spasms. Amongst Immortal’s many absurd lyrical feats, “Mountains of Might” reigns mighty. Unleash your inner reptile and sing along with Abbath; you cannot resist. “Alone on the mountainside, breathing the clearest winds.”
[ATANAMAR SUNYATA]
•••••
THE SUN NO LONGER RISES
[Pure Holocaust, 1993]Someday, a towering frost giantess will shatter the sun with a single, arctic strike from her delicately frozen fist. The Earth will collapse under ice that day, and the human race will cease to exist. “The Sun No Longer Rises” is a love song written for that exquisite Íviðja who shall ultimately herald our icy Armageddon. The surprisingly pretty slant in the tremoloing sings of her frigorific hair; the peculiar tender sway at its heart blesses her welcoming, wintry bosom. Embrace your ruin, you cow-eyed lovers. Permafrost awaits. “I believe… in tragedies. I believe… in desecration.”
[MICHAEL WUENSCH]
•••••
CURSED REALMS OF THE WINTERDEMONS
[Battles in the North, 1995]Battles In The North has it all from early Immortal for me; an all out blast fest with that perfect combination of fast riffs, furious blastbeats, a grimness that comes out in the music much more so than in just the production (which is beefy)… the works. What are most captivating about this song are the riffs from Demonaz, which just absolutely race up and down the fret board. Abbath anchors the low end with a lurking bass and with fast blasts from behind the kit. These performances are legendary in extreme metal circles and are all the more reason to praise “Cursed Realms of the Winterdemons.”
[DAVE SCHALEK]
•••••
UNEARTHLY KINGDOM
[All Shall Fall, 2009]The mighty realm of Blashyrkh doesn’t only stir ferocious, blast-laden blizzards. Occasionally, it gives rise to a stalwart army march, describing the vast plains of ice and snow that make up the majority of the Mighty Ravendark. It’s fitting that the last song that Immortal delivered up to us is an almost melancholy ode to this realm. The band sounds as subdued here as they ever get, as though they already knew that once these gates closed, they would never open again. All Shall Fall was the last sortie of the grim and frostbitten kingdom. Eventually, all winters end, even that of Blashrykh.
[KEITH ROSS]
•••••
TYRANTS
[Sons of Northern Darkness, 2002]“We’re the tyrants that guard the land” is a nutshell introduction to Immortal, decorated champions of the North. In their deck of albums, Sons of Northern Darkness is a gateway hand in terms of its accessibility with well-balanced elements of chill inducing atmosphere, sing-along snarls and blackened-thrash-inspired heavy-as-an-avalanche riffs. “Tyrants” is their ace kicker. The powerful underlying tension that can be felt in the solo that trickles into an eruption of shredding and a signature harrowing shriek is magnetizing. Alongside songs such as “In My Kingdom Cold” and “One By One,” this track is a showcase of why they are the guardians of this frostbitten genre.
[MARLO REGHENAS]
•••••
AT THE HEART OF WINTER
[At the Heart of Winter, 1999]After the all out blast fests of both Battles in the North and Blizzard Beasts, Immortal shifted gears a bit by periodically slowing down the pace, beefing up the production, and even adding a touch of melody here and there. At The Heart Of Winter was an upgrade in accessibility; but, fear not, the icy cold thinness and grimness remained. At The Heart Of Winter won over fans and critics alike, and is today remembered as a landmark album. The title track neatly encapsulates everything about Immortal at its best — excellent musicianship, an epic sweep that brings the frost giants to the forefront of your imagination, and just the right combination of the extreme, the accessible, and the melodic.
[DAVE SCHALEK]
•••••
BEYOND THE NORTH WAVES
[Sons of Northern Darkness, 2002]For a time, after the group’s initial break-up in 2003, “Beyond the North Waves”, the final track on Sons of Northern Darkness, looked to be the last we would ever hear from Immortal. A perfect marriage between Immortal’s icy grimness and the hammering power of Viking-era Bathory, “Beyond the North Waves” is, above all, glorious, epic heavy metal. Though fortune favored us with one more Immortal record, to me this is how the Immortal saga ends: Having won all the glory to be won in Blashyrkh, our heroes sail “Beyond the North Waves” to conquer realms beyond our ken.
[JEREMY MORSE]
•••••
My time will be remembered / My time it will be known
By my sons, by my tribe / And by the sun, the sea and moon
