Immortal
At the Heart of Winter

Among the heavyweights of the genre, the Norwegian band Immortal has had the merit not only of contributing to shaping the black metal genre but also of having been able to reinvent it. They started in the early '90s with LPs like "Pure Holocaust" and "Battles In The North" which allowed them to create a strong identity, thanks to a style made of rapid guitar riffs, hammering drums, and guttural vocals. While their music perhaps didn't differ much from other groups in the same scene, the peculiarity of their lyrics contributed to making them a unique case in the genre. While some of their contemporaries were involved in church burnings and some excessive acts, Abbath and company didn't waste time on various antichrists, thanks to lyrics with a clear fantasy imprint, centered on a world of snow and ice, the Blashyrk, an eternal stage of endless battles, an expression of how both Nordic landscapes and Tolkien and "Conan the Barbarian" have influenced the imagination of guitarist Demonaz, who has always been the lyricist.

In 1997, when the lineup seemed to have stabilized with the arrival of drummer Horgh, the guitarist found himself (temporarily) having to hang up his six-string: years of supersonic riffs took their toll and a bad tendonitis made him realize that it was time to stop. However, it was a matter of making a virtue out of necessity, and in 1999, "At The Heart Of Winter" was released, an album that caught everyone by surprise. The group re-emerged as a duo, or almost, with vocalist Abbath playing not only his trusted bass but also the guitar, Horgh on drums, and Demonaz, unable to play, remaining as the lyricist. Conceived at the renowned Abyss Studios, with Peter Tägtgren of Hypocrisy at the helm, the album introduces several novelties. A decidedly clean and powerful production indeed maximizes a musical proposal that seems to partly distance itself from what had been done up to that moment. No longer having Demonaz's guitar, Abbath found himself writing all the music practically alone, and here influences emerge that rarely appeared on previous records. If LPs like the aforementioned "Battles In The North" were an extremization of Venom's raw and violent sound, here it seems that for a moment Cronos and company have been set aside to leave more room for a sound indebted to Iron Maiden.

"Withstand The Fall Of Time", placed at the opening, well represents this new course. The rhythms are driving, and Horgh is as explosive as ever, but gone are the icy, obsessive riffs that had defined the Norwegians until then. The same goes for the subsequent "Solarfall", a long and complex track, full of tempo changes, with intense parts, like in the old days, alternating with more atmospheric moments. Is it a "commercial" turn and "betrayal"? No, on the contrary, the pieces are absolutely valid, and the unwillingness to push the pedal to the metal demonstrates how the band knows how to navigate different registers and has no interest in reprising formulas that, by the fifth album, would have been all too predictable. "Tragedies Blows At Horizon" moves along the same wavelength: it seems that Immortal wanted to give more space than usual to the music, with long instrumental parts and forays into territories we could comfortably define as thrash metal, without losing an ounce of their artistic integrity. If "Where Dark And Light Don't Differ" is enhanced by an excellent guitar solo by Abbath in pure NWOBHM style and by riffs as simple as they are effective, the high point of the CD is still the track that bears its name. "At The Heart Of Winter" is introduced by synthesizer notes that just a few years earlier would have been called heretical, but here they are crucial to musically conveying those icy landscapes born from Demonaz's pen. Needless to say, the track perfectly represents the new direction taken by Abbath and company, certainly more melodic and "accessible" but not budging an inch when it comes to creating dramatic and evocative atmospheres. The piece lasts eight minutes and is supported by a classic metal riff? Even better, yet another demonstration of how to renew a winning formula without betraying one's origins. "Years Of Silent Sorrow" is another marathon that comfortably exceeds seven minutes and with its majestic advance truly closes an excellent record in style.

Twenty years later, "At The Heart Of Winter" remains an album of absolute value, which did not betray the past while at the same time succeeded in opening the group up to new sounds. The genre is naturally niche, and many may not appreciate it, but it is undoubtedly a work of great charm.

Immortal:

• Abbath, vocals, guitar, bass, synthesizer
• Horgh, drums
• Demonaz, lyrics

"At The Heart Of Winter":

1. Withstand The Fall Of Time
2. Solarfall
3. Tragedies Blows At Horizon
4. Where Dark And Light Don't Differ
5. At The Heart Of Winter
6. Years Of Silent Sorrow