IMMORTAL - Northern Chaos Gods review

IMMORTAL - Northern Chaos Gods

Nuclear Blast



Well the big metal news for 2018, at least from the mainstream metal media, is that IMMORTAL are back. BUT Abbath is not with them. Well so fuckin what, right? I mean there are plenty of fans who lost interest in the band back in 1997 when guitarist Demonaz had to stop playing because of severe tendinitis. Although he did stick around as songwriter and most likely inspiration but the band did become Abbath's vehicle from then on.


1999's At the Heart of Winter, which saw Abbath take over on guitar marked the point when IMMORTAL went from grim & frosty black metal to grim, frosty & thrashy BATHORY influenced metal and eventually turning into a northern darkness version of KISS. Look I'm not cutting it down, seriously I'm not, but one wonders what would the band's career have turned out if Demonaz never left.


Of course when Demonaz came out with his solo album, March of the Norse, in 2011 the answer was made. It's because of the greatness of that offering I kinda knew what to expect on this one. So after one listen to Northern Chaos Gods my first thought was that this could've been At the Heart of Winter 2. Better yet, if Demonaz did not come down with tendinitis back then we would be heralding this as an iconic release from the 90s instead of today. 


Basically this release carries the ethos of Battles in the North and the mythos of Blashyrkh. It's all in the same vein of what IMMORTAL moved onto but with epic tracks like "Mighty Ravendark" and "Gates to Blashyrkh". It just feels like what it had should have been. Nailed to that you've got thrashy blackened cuts like the title cut plus "Into Battle Ride" which will get you to go fuckin nuts. You will be bouncing off the fuckin walls. You'll also be (if you're a fan) remembering every nuance this band has done over the years. 


Speaking of the band (aka: IMMORTAL 2018) Demonaz's guitar work is thrashy in riffage as well as power chord roughness. It ain't the old ways but hey give the guy a break. He ain't the greatess guitarist from Norway anymore but is still worthy. Vocal wise he's a harsh causer singer which is a fresh breath from Abbath's evil frog style. Horgh is back on drums and is super incredible. Long time friend and producer Peter Tagtgren of HYPOCRISY takes on bass duties.


Can I just say I love this record?

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