You would only have to have an inkling of who Demonaz is to know what this album is going to sound like, and you would not be far off. Obviously no longer content with just being a lyricist, the erstwhile Immortal man has teamed up with Ice Dale and Armagedda from I (for whom Demonaz also wrote lyrics) for his own solo debut.
It only takes a few seconds to dispel any remote fears that Demonaz would use this as a platform to expand his horizons, and with a title like March of the Norse that was hardly to be expected. This is as cold and as frost-bitten as any of those classic Immortal albums, evoking images of warriors trudging through snow, bending their backs against blizzards as they wind their way through wintered forests and icy peaks. Yes, to some degree, March of the Norse is very much like Immortal with Demonaz singing, with its frigid atmosphere and its lyrical obsession with snow, woodlands, mountains and battle. But what this really sounds like is Bathory, or, perhaps more accurately, Bathory with some added Motorhead and Venom. Demonaz’ vocal has a distinctly Quorthon-like aspect about it and the music borrows from the same catalogue, although this is no mere copy. Guitarist Ice Dale is of course a member of Enslaved, so he brings a deft sense of melody to the table as well as some undorned but effective soloing that adds some sparkle.
If there’s one criticism, it’s that it all sounds very much the same, like one big long epic song broken into smaller pieces. At just on 40 minutes, it’s both short and catchy enough that this doesn’t become a problem, but it does leave one feeling that Demonaz may have been playing a little bit too safe. Regardless, this is a fine way for him to return from the shadows.
1. Northern Hymn
2. All Blackened Sky
3. March of the Norse
4. A Son of the Sword
5. Where Gods Once Rode
6. Under the Great Fires
7. Over the Mountains
8. Ode to Battle
9. Legend of Fire and Ice
Rating: 72%
No comments:
Post a Comment