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Immortal: All shall fall
30/10/09 || Smalley
Let’s see… is Abbath still on vocals/guitar? Mmm-hmm. Horgh still on the drums? Affirmative. Are there grim, icy lyrics from Demonaz? You bethcha! Yes, this looks like the same Immortal that left us for little recharge back in ’03 (I like to imagine Demonaz/Abbath using the time for corpsepainted yoga in the latter’s backyard). Still, while everything looks kosher here, do they sound that way as well? Did the group’s lengthy hiatus weaken their classic (frost)bite any, did Abbath’s time with the more straightforward black ‘n roll outfit “I” change his approach to Immortal any, etc.? Well, I’m happy to report no to these, or any other concerns fans may have about “All shall fall”; for them, listening to this will be like slipping into that comfortable old bullet belt they cherish, which is mostly enough to get past how the bullets on that belt (i.e. Immortal) have shined a bit brighter in the past…
I was having a hard time figuring out what I wanted to say about the songs here, so I decided to go the shorter/sweeter route; yeah, going in-depth can be fun, but it’s not like there are any gargantuan sound curveballs I need to talk about here (worrying about how a fucken Immortal record will sound is almost as bad as being uncertain about the next AC/DC, heh). Anyway, the title track opener does have good energy, but its underwhelming riffage, a disappointing solo, and Abbath’s fucken subdued vocals (they do get better later) prevent it from being as sweeping as it should’ve been. Good thing that most of the remaining tracks manage to surpass that, like “The rise of darkness”, which throws in more energetic vocals and stronger, catchier riffing overall, and “Hordes to war”, which is the most furious, headbang-able track of the entire album, with a bulldozer pace that doesn’t let up for 1 nanosecond.
“Norden on fire” starts with some surprisingly folk-y clean guitar, then transitions into the expected heavy stuff, but it’s okay, since the music’s so cool here anyway; every member of the band combines to create the aural portrait of triumphant warriors, holding high the flag of black metal as they advance over the bodies of fallen foes. Having to follow that act, a lot songs would suffer, and “Artic swarm” does just that, but I can’t say I feel too sorry for it, since it’s the worst song on the album anyway. Not bad, no, but besides one sweet solo, its songwriting lacks necessary intensity, turning it into a relatively uninteresting listen. At least it’s still somewhat enjoyable, and “Mount north” is thankfully a big improvement from there, with a strong, driving rhythm that practically begs you to put yer head in motion. Finally, the sparse, gothic intro of “Unearthly kindgdom”, its methodical, majestic tempo, and final, climatic tone make it a smart choice to close the album out.
Okay, so most of the songs here are pretty good, but how about some
thoughts on the overall product? Well, songwriting-wise, I’d say the
past Immortal that this one resembles most would be “At the heart of
winter” (there were a number of riffs that would’ve fit on either
album). Not to suggest this one comes too close to being like
“winter”, though; the sense of epicness is definitely diminished here,
with Abbath & Co. aiming more for speed than for scope. Yeah, fast metal has it’s
place just like the epic shit does, but I’ve heard fast Immortal before,
and frankly, I think them getting near that style again is taking a
step backwards. At least the instrumental performances still kicked ass
here, with Abbath pumping out the obligatory thick, gritty riffage,
Horgh drumming more intensely than ever (it’s almost like he’s punishing
his kit), and Apollyon’s constant, fat bass providing excellent support
to the others. I just wish Abbath would’ve sprinkled in a few more
solos on the record, since he proves he can still put out the real
badass ones, but eh, no use crying over spilled grim & frostbitten
milk.
If you’re familiar with the past works from these pose-happy dorks, “All shall fall” won’t strike you as anything near groundbreaking, and I have to admit, there were times here I couldn’t shake the feeling Immortal was getting by on auto-pilot, but at least they still have a passion and love for playing black metal, and really, that’s enough! I had fun with “All shall fall”, and Immortal on auto-pilot is easily better than no Immortal at all, so I whole-heartedly approve of their return, and since I know the Men In Black/White are working on the next album, I’ll wish them luck with that (but please, go bigger with it, and Abbath, sing like you give more of a fuck, please…?). Maybe I’m a sucker for liking a safe album here, but screw it, at least I’m a happy sucker…
- Information
- Released: 2009
- Label: Nuclear Blast
- Website: www.immortalofficial.com
- Band
- Abbath Doom Occulta: vocals, guitars
- Apollyon: bass
- Horgh: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. All Shall Fall
- 02. The Rise Of Darkness
- 03. Hordes To War
- 04. Norden On Fire
- 05. Arctic Swarm
- 06. Mount North
- 07. Unearthly Kingdom
