Immortal
Damned In Black

THE REVIEW

Among the fathers of black. There are no other terms or adjectives to describe Immortal. And there are no adjectives to describe the void their departure has left. I don't think any black band has ever produced such chill, such coldness and aggression in their compositions.

Just a mere year had passed since the release of "At The Heart Of Winter." Criticism upon criticism had filled that masterpiece that had found the right union between aggression and melody. Demonaz was no longer there, but Abbath manages with this "Damned In Black" to give Immortal a new turn, bringing them back to that brutal speed that had always distinguished them. Seven songs that try to remind us of the glories of "Battles In The North," but they don't quite succeed. Yes, because it was difficult, once on the melodic path, to return to the shores of power. They play well, Abbath sings excellently, but something fails to bring back the glories of "Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism" or the masterpiece "Battles In The North." It's certainly not their masterpiece.

It starts fairly well with "Triumph," which seems to me intentionally long: a variety of riffs, rhythmic and vocal solutions all supported by the usual Immortal rhythmic section. But the track, in its duration, tires a little, as does the subsequent "Wrath From Above," which still presents some good points like a decent solo and a more restrained section (calculated?). "Against The Tide" turns out to be quite good: slower part, speeds up, then explodes definitively in its violence. The two following tracks are instead bland and unoriginal: "My Dimension" and "The Darkness That Embrace Me" are in line with what has already been heard and do not present any outstanding innovations, they almost seem like fillers in an album that so far has shown few ideas truly worthy of note. With "In Our Mystic Visions Blest" Immortal rise again to then explode definitively in the title-track which I consider really one of their classics: "Damned In Black" is melodic, icy, melancholic in the acoustic parts and seems taken directly from the previous album that I loved so much. And it continues until the end, thrilling and chilling our minds taken by this jewel of a song. If it weren't for the title track, my rating would certainly have been lower. But I consider this album an excellent bridge between "At The Heart Of Winter" and "Sons Of Northern Darkness," which I consider the first a masterpiece, the second the excellent farewell of a historic band in the black field.

If you want to take Immortal in small doses, this "Damned in Black" is fine. If you are die-hard fans, you might not even like it. However good, nothing more.