DEMONAZ: March of the Norse

Released: April 1 2011

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%

IMMORTAL: All Shall Fall

Produced by Peter Tägtgren
Released: September 25



There’s little doubt that this is the most anticipated comeback album of the year, and there’s none but a few who could honestly say they’d be that disappointed by it. While Immortal may have been taking the piss out of themselves now for a long time, it’s also clear that they’ve always been deadly serious about the music itself. The evidence list for this begins with the daunting and impressive packaging of All Shall Fall that borrows from Beyond the Gates by Possessed (a band to whom all groups like this pay a debt) and continues with Demonaz’ detailed lyrics and the blasting soundtrack the band provides them.

In short, Immortal may look like cartoon characters with their crazy full-face make-up and ridiculous spiky attire, but they sound every bit like furious warrior demons at the vanguard of Hell’s legions. There’s a sophistication and a skill inherent in their ferocious dark black thrash attack that belies their clownish appearance and Peter Tägtgren’s production enhances the feeling of cold, methodical bitterness, the aesthetics of pure misanthropic destruction.
Indeed, the clinical sound is what helps give All Shall Fall its immense power, turning what would still be a good track like the riff-infested “The Rise of Darkness” into a thing of pure menace. There is unquestionably something of a groove apparent thanks to the audible thump of Appolyon’s bass and Immortal has also put a heavy emphasis on dynamics here too as the mid-paced sections contrast drastically with the speedier parts when Horgh gets steam up. The clean passages in the likes of “Norden on Fire” –the closest they get to their usual Bathory-worship—enhance the atmosphere of malevolence that only a nasal grunt like Abbath’s can help create. It should also be noted that his lead guitar work on here is possibly his best yet.

While All Shall Fall has its thrashier tracks, it also has its frosty epics, closing with the immense “Unearthly Kingdom”, a grim combination of slow, pounding riffs and sudden bursts of speed; it almost sounds sad, which seems like a strange thing to say about Immortal but it fits the bill here.

Not everyone will be happy, but All Shall Fall is a strong album that bridges some of the gaps between Immortal’s early style and their later phase without really changing anything very much. It’s not a total masterpiece, but it could hardly be described as just another comeback either.

1. All Shall Fall
2. The Rise of Darkness
3. Hordes to War
4. Norden on Fire
5. Arctic Swarm
6. Mount North
7. Unearthly Kingdom

Rating: 85%