mmortal The music of Immortal is a vortex of mystifying sound enfolded in vivid harmonies coalescing with nebulous melody, structured in expansive compositions in the tradition of epic heavy metal theory to awaken romanticist spirits from their modernity-induced slumber. Their unequivocal debut Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism shares royalty with other supreme works of early 1990s Norwegian black metal, as it achieves artistic triumph through representing a worldly dimension of beautiful darkness where endless possibilities await discovery through an idealized existence of transcendence, free of modern diseases of universalized morality and material convenience. Rooted in the framework of grandiose yet rhythmically simplistic metal, Immortal’s music identifies a striking compromise between frigid violence and unknowable beauty to communicate a reverence for the forces of nature in the recognition that we live in a world that doesn’t need us. "I lift my hands A misty iciness streams through this music, ostensibly stirred by wind-tunnel riffs of dark energy carrying a winternight chill, infusing these tempo-dynamic constructions with an atmospherical bitter frost. Immortal knows the cold darkness of life, and through these nighthymns of limitless imagination and haunting mystery, transude a passionate veneration for this quality of existence dreaded by those who’ve failed to discover the methods of stabilizing their fear towards spiritual oblivion. Cryptic acoustic passages, occasionally conjugated with eerie whispers from a distant netherworld, provide a reflective confirmation of the fundamental order in natural process, not so much a delicate contemplation as an assured conviction derived from wisdom gained by careful observation of the nature of things. Grimaced phantom howls enhance emotional volume, at times supplying an urgency in transitions where ornamentation of exuberance normally associated with typical rock maneuvers to sway audience emotion stimulate an inner fire. This is also an effect of the flowing, volcanic guitar solos which rise unexpectedly from passages failing to announce such arrivals. These solos usually choose directions similarly unanticipated, and when, as in the magically nocturnal brilliance of "The Call Of The Wintermoon", the solo wails wildly through the initial screams of the following verse, this music reaches a storming potency. "I long for eternal frost and black winters" Epic compositional arrangements furnish a conceptual vastness to this album. Rhythmic foundations follow a simplistic design, as complexity is formulated through the abstract nature of these songs, which floats above the mechanics like clouds raining dreams upon the existentially weary. These songs are driven by affirmative undercurrents, always moving towards a culmination of climactic expression. The Norwegians are prestigiously adept in the art of building towards and powerfully depicting oceanic soundscapes through a kind of artistic heroism, where images of vast landscapes, proud mountains, and wintry forests under black skies visit the listener’s mental panorama. Immortal join Enslaved and Emperor as masters of this skill, evidenced by album-closer "A Perfect Vision Of The Rising Northland", where the band represent just what the song’s title pronounces seven minutes into, as a brief acoustic section is punctuated by the authoritative scream, "A wind of red I rode, A wind of evil cold", introducing a majestic passage of epic musical splendor. There is something regal about such a moment that has never been duplicated to this extent by any black metal band outside of Norway. It is so eternally tied to the spirit of their region, so culturally and environmentally significant, that no foreign admirer can hope to be what it is. "On the hillside where I
stood, I left for another world In association with the harsh elements of reality, Diabolic Fullmoon Mysticism is essential as an illustration of what this sub-genre is, in its theory of mechanics, ideology, and atmospheric ganduer. Easily perceived as embryonic in comparison with following efforts, mostly for its humble production value and mechanical reach, this work possesses a quality of expression separating it from admittedly important and powerful succeeding works. The scope of imagination and the fashion in which that scope connects with an acknowledgment of the significance and meaning in the darker, colder realm of existence throughout this effort is astonishing, and raises this album to a realm populated by very few acts who aspire to it. 2/11/07 Tracklisting: 1. Intro2. The Call of The Wintermoon Immortal At The Heart Of Winter was considered a
major achievement of epic proportions of Immortal. It saw them tone down the
speed in favor of a more triumphant feel, allowing their icy themes to manifest
themselves in a more expressional presentation. A year later, and they now
unleash their seventh recording, Damned In Black. Damned In Black does not offer nearly as many glacial
atmospheres and triumphant moments as At The Heart Of Winter. Instead,
what they deliver here is blackened speed metal. While "Triumph"
blasts off the album with typical blastattack Immortal fare, songs like "Wrath
From Above" and "My Dimension" are built around a heavy metal/speed metal
approach with black vocals and the occasional blast beats. Abbath manages to come up with some truly shredding riffs, especially in
"Darkness That Embrace Me", where he uses start/stop
riffs that along with Horgh's double bass patterns work to great effect. Vocals
implement various slight punctuations
to accent riff changes. 2000
Immortal Discography
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