The third era of
Immortal begins with
Northern Chaos Gods. This is the band's first album in nearly a decade and their debut after their acrimonious split with former guitarist and vocalist
Abbath. In addition, it marks the welcome return of
Demonaz on guitar and vocals after a nearly-two-decade bout with tendonitis. With drummer
Horgh and session bassist
Peter Taegtgren, longtime fans should recognize that despite the changes and misfortunes in the band's history, this remains
Immortal, sonically and musically. The opening title track is all the proof one needs, as pummeling blastbeats, razor-wire power riffs, and bloodcurdling screams charge through the speakers at hundreds of miles per hour.
Demonaz is ferocious up front. His howl is pure, adrenalin-fueled malice. While "Intro Battle Ride" feels like an insane companion piece that, like its predecessor, harkens back to the beginnings of second wave black metal,
Immortal delivers another sonic trademark on "Gates to Blashyrkh" and "Black of Worlds" with their melodic interludes and sorrowful atmospheres balancing out the band's sheer brutal physicality. The former is all build up, never resolving even if its closing riff is one of the best in their long history. The latter bears all the hallmarks of the classic "Withstand the Fall of Time," which merely underscores -- along with the rest of this material -- that
Immortal are shoring up their identity as one of black metal's monuments. Further evidence lies in tracks such as "Where Mountains Rise," that reflects the influence of
Bathory -- these bands liberally borrowed from one another back in the day. "The Mighty Ravendark" closes the set in a nine-minute careen across
Immortal's recorded history while simultaneously shoving hard at the margins that previously contained them with swinging punchy snares and kick drums, throbbing basslines, and a meld of black and detuned death metal tropes, without faltering even once. While it's true that
Immortal doesn't break new ground here, it was perhaps more important at this juncture to reassert their sound to fans as they move forward in the aftermath of
Abbath's departure. They not only carry on here, but sound more like their unhinged, malevolent selves than ever. ~ Thom Jurek
