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Album Review – Immortal / War Against All (2023)

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Demonaz and his Immortal return with another striking album of classic Black Metal, once again inspired by the stunning Norwegian winter, its landscapes and solitude.

Almost five years after the sensational Northern Chaos Gods, the iconic vocalist and guitarist Demonaz and his Bergen, Norway-based Black Metal institution Immortal are back from the underworld with a bitterly cold, thrilling new opus titled War Against All, the tenth studio album in the band’s undisputed career. Recorded by Herbrand Larsen and Arve Isdal at Conclave & Earshot Studios, produced by Arve Isdal, mastered by Iver Sandøy at Solslottet Studio, and displaying a classic artwork by Mattias Frisk, War Against All is once again inspired by the Norwegian winter, its landscapes and solitude, all embraced by the first-class, acid and heavy-as-hell music masterfully crafted by Demonaz alongside session musicians Ice Dale (aka Arve Isdal of Enslaved and Audrey Horne) on bass and additional guitars, and Kevin Kvåle (of Gaahls Wyrd and From the Vastland) on drums, turning it into a must-listen for admirers of Norwegian Black Metal, and positioning it among the best albums of the year hands down.

Immortal begin their demonic Black Metal attack with the stunning, classic title-track War Against All, with Demonaz kicking some fuckin’ ass on vocals supported by the thunderous drums by Kevin and the massive bass lines by Ice Dale; whereas the lyrics in Thunders Of Darkness reek of Immortal (“Ride, thunderous hordes of the sky / Gates from the fiery side / Blackened clouds hold the sky / Rise, the forces of battle unite / Battalions and warriors lines / The enemies into the fire”) while the guitars by Demonaz and Ice Dale sound absolutely scorching. It’s then time to slow things down a bit and bang our heads to the heavy and obscure mid-tempo extravaganza Wargod, again showcasing a fantastic vocal performance by Demonaz; and back to their more ferocious mode, Demonaz and his henchmen bring forth an old school Norwegian Black Metal feast titled No Sun, offering our avid ears that old school flesh-ripping riffage by Demonaz we all love so much.

We’re then treated to another fantastic, bitterly cold creation by Immortal titled Return To Cold, taking us on a one way journey into the Norwegian winter to the raspy vociferations by Demonaz while Kevin’s drums dictate the song’s pace in great fashion, before the trio fires the instrumental piece Nordlandihr, sounding solid, detailed and heavy as usual. However, it’s a bit too long for an instrumental song, and I bet the addition of vocals would have brought the extra kick it needed. The song that carries the name of such iconic band, Immortal, is a lecture in Black Metal, presenting spot-on lyrics (“Light of the moon, enthroned in my mind / I stand in the storm that has taken my soul / I am alive, timeless and strong / A dark energy, the mountain of me”) embraced by a flawless instrumental spearheaded by Demonaz’s incendiary riffs, and last but not least, the icing on the cake is offered to us all in the form of the beautiful Blashyrkh My Throne, with Demonaz blasting his trademark roars and infernal riffs while Kevin and Ice Dale make the earth tremble with their somber kitchen, putting a climatic ending to such epic album.

The gates to the Norwegian Black Metal realm ruled by Immortal are open once again, and you can enjoy their latest installment in all of its glory on YouTube and on Spotify, and order your copy and listen on your favorite platform by clicking HERE. Demonaz is also waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram with all things Immortal, including tour dates, and on YouTube with more of his Black Metal magic. War Against All is at the same time cold and incendiary, brutal and melodic, harsh and enfolding, proving why Immortal are still one of the most important bands in the history of Black Metal worldwide, and therefore fueling Demonaz to keep moving forward through the vast and gelid Norwegian lands for our absolute delight.

Best moments of the album: War Against All, Thunders Of Darkness, Immortal and Blashyrkh My Throne.

Worst moments of the album: Nordlandihr.

Released in 2023 Nuclear Blast

Track listing
1. War Against All 3:26
2. Thunders Of Darkness 3:48
3. Wargod 4:38
4. No Sun 4:16
5. Return To Cold 4:31
6. Nordlandihr 7:12
7. Immortal 4:14
8. Blashyrkh My Throne 5:58

Band members
Demonaz – vocals, guitars

Guest musician
Ice Dale – bass, additional guitars
Kevin Kvåle – drums

Concert Review – Enslaved & Insomnium (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 04/08/2023)

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Two of the most important bands in the history of Nordic metal turned up the heat this weekend in Toronto with their unparalleled music and hypnotic performances. 

OPENING ACT: Black Anvil

There’s nothing better than uniting two Nordic bands in Toronto (and we all know how Finland, Norway and Canada can get really, really cold) to celebrate the end of another freakin’ winter, and that’s exactly what hundreds of fans were able to witness at the always cozy The Opera House this Saturday when INSOMNIUM and ENSLAVED, with the support of BLACK ANVIL, kicked some serious ass with their very melodic, folk, and obviously heavy-as-hell music. The weather was good enough (for Canadian standards) for several people to only wear T-shirts, including myself, and I must say that was a wise decision as things started to get pretty warm inside the venue right after the doors opened. And on a side note, if you’re attending any concert at The Opera House or just visiting the neighborhood, a new Slayer Burger location (and I still think they should be called “SLAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEERRRRR Burger” for obvious reasons) opened on February 12 right beside the venue, offering a great option to fill up your personal tank before heading into any mosh pits.

It was 7:30pm when the opening act, New York, United States-based Black/Thrash Metal act BLACK ANVIL kicked off the night with their vicious music, with vocalist and bassist P.D. and drummer R.G. stealing the spotlight with another blasphemous performance, and I say “another” because I already had the pleasure of seeing them opening for the mighty Cannibal Corpse in November also here in Toronto. Still promoting their 2022 opus Regenesis, the quartet did a very solid job on stage, with their newest song NYC Nightmares being the highlight of their performance for me. Perhaps the only “issue” with their show was the fact that their music is considerably different from the main attractions, and at least I felt there was a lack of circle pits during their entire set. The fans still raised their horns for the band and clapped their hands in approval after each song was played, but as I said maybe the night was too eclectic for a band like Black Anvil.

INSOMNIUM

Then after a quick break, more specifically at around 8:30pm, Finland’s own Melodic Death Metal institution INSOMNIUM hit the stage with a flawless performance, blending songs from all of their previous albums with the stunning creations form their brand new opus Anno 1696. Spearheaded by the iconic vocalist and bassist Niilo Sevänen, the band started their show with five superb songs in a row, those being 1696, White Christ, While We Sleep, Godforsaken and Lilian, embellishing the airwaves and putting the entire crowd in a metallic trance and showing how strong their newest album is. Insomnium have always been one of the pillars of Nordic Melodic Death Metal since their inception back in 1997, always releasing amazing albums, but it feels like they’ve perfect their sound even more with Anno 1696, and the reactions of the fans in Toronto to their new songs was the ultimate proof of that.

One thing I must say about Insomnium, in special when talking about their live performances, is how awesome their guitars are nowadays with Markus Vanhala (the heart and soul of another Finnish Melodic Death Metal beast, the excellent Omnium Gatherum) and Jani Liimatainen, who’s in a much better position these days compared to his time with Sonata Arctica or Altaria, sounding sharp, crisp and extremely melodious for the absolute delight of all fans who were at The Opera House. I have no idea why their third guitarist Ville Friman missed the show, and I’m sure it would have been even more amazing if he had played as well, but Markus and Jani nailed it from start to finish even without their bandmate. Another new song that sounded thrilling live was The Witch Hunter, again proving their latest release is a beast of an album, and closing their performance with the not-so-old song Heart Like a Grave was one more attestation those Finnish metallers are always moving forward in their career. It was my first time seeing Insomnium live despite being a fan of the band for a long time, and I’ll make sure I don’t miss any of their future shows in Toronto from now on after such pleasant night in the city.

Setlist
1696
White Christ
While We Sleep
Godforsaken
Lilian
And Bells They Toll
The Witch Hunter
Valediction
Mortal Share
Heart Like a Grave

Band members
Niilo Sevänen – lead vocals, bass
Markus Vanhala – guitars
Jani Liimatainen – guitars, clean vocals
Markus Hirvonen – drums

ENSLAVED

It was a little past 10pm when the main attraction of the night, Norway’s Progressive Black/Viking Metal horde ENSLAVED, took the city of Toronto by storm led by their charismatic vocalist and bassist Grutle Kjellson, putting a huge smile on the faces of everyone at The Opera House, and inspiring part of the crowd to head into the battlefield (aka mosh pits) for the delight of the band. The start of their performance with the songs Jettegryta and Homebound, from their 2020 album Utgard, plus the fact they played Kingdom, Forest Dweller and Heimdal, from their 2023 album Heimdal, therefore making for half of their setlist, also shows that Enslanved, just like Insomnium, are forward-thinking musicians who respect their past but are not trapped in it, and their diehard fans more than love that based on their reaction to their entire performance.

Enslaved were also one man down, as their guitarist Ivar Bjørnson was absent from the concert in Toronto (and from their entire North American tour “due to immediate family issues that needed to be taken care of” as per a statement from the band on their official Facebook page), but Grutle made sure Ivar received some positive vibes from us Torontonians who screamed his name when prompted by the band. Furthermore, their other guitarist Arve Isdal was on fire, shredding his guitar nonstop and filling all empty spaces left by Ivar, in special in the amazing tune Return to Yggdrasil. Add to that the intense, multi-layered background sounds by Håkon Vinje and Iver Sandøy, and there you have the perfect recipe for a fulminating Norwegian attack. When they closed the night with Allfǫðr Oðinn, everyone at The Opera House was beyond happy and mesmerized, and I’m sure that will inspired Enslaved to return to the city sooner than we can say any of the names of their songs in Norwegian. Ad of course, thanks a lot to Noel Peters from Inertia Entertainment for putting together such enjoyable night of first-class metal music, and thanks once again to my friend Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography for the amazing shots! SKÅL!

Setlist
Jettegryta
Homebound
Return to Yggdrasil
Kingdom
Forest Dweller
The Dead Stare
Isa
Havenless
Heimdal
Allfǫðr Oðinn

Band members
Grutle Kjellson – vocals, bass
Arve Isdal – lead guitars
Håkon Vinje – keyboards, clean vocals
Iver Sandøy – drums, clean vocals

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Album Review – Phantom Fire / Eminente Lucifer Libertad (2023)

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This rebellious Black and Speed Metal duo hailing from Norway is ready to reap again to the sound of their sulfurous sophomore opus.

Hailing from Bergen, Norway, Black/Speed Metal outfit Phantom Fire includes members from such bands as Gaahls Wyrd and Krakow, but on evidence of their first public recording, the 2021 two-song EP Return of the Goat, Phantom Fire are definitely their own band. Now in 2023, little more than a year after the release of their full-length opus The Bust of Beelzebub, the band formed of Eld (aka Frode Kilvik) on vocals and bass, and Kjartan (aka Kjartan Grønhaug, or simply K_G) on the guitars and electronics, is ready to reap again with their sophomore opus, titled Eminente Lucifer Libertad. Produced, mixed and mastered by Enslaved’s own Iver Sandøy (who also plays drums in the entire album) at Solslottet Studio, displaying a sinister artwork by Per “Hellbutcher” Gustavsson (Nifelheim, Necrocurse), and featuring eerie narrations by Ferruccio Goia, the album keeps the duo’s core sound intact and yet show palpable new sides of their music across its slightly longer and daresay-stronger content, riding the lightning of all-out speed as often as they moodily march to pagan vastlands, sometimes all in the span of the same song.

Not a single second of peace is offered to our blackened souls in Bloodshed, with Eld roaring manically accompanied by the visceral riffs by Kjartan in a fast and furious Thrash Metal party with Hardcore influences, followed by the weird interlude Eminente, which sets the tone for Derive from Ash, a mid-tempo Black and Thrash Metal aria where Eld’s vocals sound inspired by the one and only Abbath, with his bass lines hitting us hard in the head supported by the solid drumming by Iver. Then back to a more ferocious mode, it’s truly exciting how the duo managed to blend the best elements from Black and Thrash Metal in their music as you can sense both styles at once in Ritual, led by the fulminating riffage by Kjartan, morphing into the devilish Satanic Messenger, where eerie vociferations are accompanied by electronic sounds and noises crafted by Kjartan. Not exactly the type of track hardcore fans of thrash would expect, but it does its job in a decent way.

Lucifer is another idiosyncratic track by the band that builds the atmosphere for De Taptes Dans, where we face almost three minutes of obscurity and violence. Furthermore, Iver is once again brutal on drums providing Eld with exactly what he needs to bark like a demonic entity; and investing in a rebellious, punk-ish attitude the duo fires the heavy tune Black Night, where their riffs and bass lines walk hand in hand in the name of extreme music. Mara is a wicked creation overflowing progressiveness, groove and rage with Kjartan hammering his guitar mercilessly, extracting pure Black Metal from his riffs, and the band offers us all another short and sweet interlude titled Libertad before kicking our asses one last time in Pentagram, the longest and most detailed of all songs where Eld’s bass and Iver’s beats bring sheer groove to the music, sounding more like a summoning of evil spirits than an actual metal song. The final result is truly compelling, though.

The insurgent duo of Phantom Fire is ready to kick your ass armed with their flammable new album, and in order to show them you’re a true servant of our buddy Lucifer you can start following them on Facebook and on Instagram, stream more of their music on Spotify, and purchase your copy of Eminente Lucifer Libertad from the Edge Circle Productions’ BandCamp page or from their webstore in the United States or in Europe, as well as from Apple Music. In the end, the album is a rowdier listen but also one that’s stoic or even ceremonial; the chill of the tundra coats all of Eminente Lucifer Libertad, and so does the burning light of Lucifer (up)rising from beneath, always in the name of our beloved extreme music.

Best moments of the album: Bloodshed, De Taptes Dans and Mara.

Worst moments of the album: Satanic Messenger.

Released in 2023 Edge Circle Productions

Track listing
1. Bloodshed 2:33
2. Eminente 0:10
3. Derive from Ash 4:58
4. Ritual 3:42
5. Satanic Messenger 3:32
6. Lucifer 0:57
7. De Taptes Dans 2:49
8. Black Night 1:42
9. Mara 2:55
10. Libertad 0:19
11. Pentagram 6:24

Band members
Eld – vocals, bass
Kjartan – guitars, electronics

Guest musicians
Iver Sandøy – drums
Ferruccio Goia – narration

Album Review – Enslaved / Utgard (2020)

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Once again inspired by Norse mythology, one of Norway’s most prominent bands of all time returns with more of their early Black Metal roots infused with experimentations with 70’s Progressive Rock.

Since their inception in the distant year of 1991, Bergen, Norway-based Progressive Black/Viking Metal horde Enslaved has continued to push their sound into new territories and remain fresh and relevant with each one of their records, which is also the case with their brand new opus entitled Utgard, the fifteenth studio album in their undisputed career. Currently comprised of vocalist and bassist Grutle Kjellson, guitarists Arve Isdal and Ivar Bjørnson, keyboardist Håkon Vinje and drummer Iver Sandøy, the band’s music once again draws heavily on the Viking cultural and religious heritage of their home country for inspiration, with most of the band’s lyrics relating to Norse mythology. Embraced by a somber artwork by Norwegian artist Truls Espedal, Utgard is titled after a location in Norse mythology, even including some Norse lyrics and song titles, while at the same time displaying the band’s early Black Metal roots infused with their experimentations with Progressive Rock from the 70’s, resulting in a very entertaining album for both diehard fans of the band and newcomers to their Viking realm.

Ritualistic vocalizations ignite the flammable and melodic Fires In The Dark, before the acoustic guitars by Arve and Ivar take us to desolate, bitterly cold Norwegian lands in a beautiful depiction of their modern-day Progressive Black Metal. Furthermore, Grutle, Håkon and Iver have a healthy vocal duel with their respective harsh roars and serene clean vocals, increasing the song’s taste considerably. Then leaning towards their more classic Black Metal, but of course also providing their fans elements from their current musical stage, we have Jettegryta, where Iver is on fire with his blast beats and intricate fills while Grutle growls and gnarls in a dark and captivating manner; followed by Sequence, more rhythmic and less visceral than its predecessors, with Grutle’s gnarls being once again effectively supported by his bandmates’ backing vocals. However, the guitar solos seem a bit disconnected from the rest of the music, resulting in a sound that’s not as exciting as expected in the end. Fortunately, in Homebound the band gets back on track, offering our ears beautiful, poetic words vociferated rabidly by Grutle (“When gold blinds / I will see beyond the false torches / The howling will guide us / Walking the plains between worlds / When houses fall / I will be the pillar in the hail / Unmoving we travel / Crossing oceans in mythological dreams”) while the music remains imposing and vibrant from start to finish.

In Utgarđr, a cryptic, hypnotizing interlude presenting deep vocalizations, we face freezing background sounds until Enslaved come ripping once again with Urjotun, blending their raw sonority with modernized and even electronic sounds and tones from 80’s pop music. As a matter of fact, the final result is truly exciting, as if it was taken from a cult action movie from that same decade. And strident riffs and the pounding drums by Iver kick off the grim and furious Flight Of Thought And Memory, a lecture in contemporary Progressive Black and Viking Metal alternating between obscure savagery and melancholic passages, or in other words, a very detailed, multi-layered composition tailored for admirers of the genre. Back to a more straightforward musicality the quintet offers us all the melodic Storms Of Utgard, with the guitars by both Arve and Ivar permeating the air in great fashion, boosted by the song’s galloping beats and celestial keys, and they put a gentle and inspiring closure to the album with Distant Seasons, a semi-acoustic ballad where we’re treated to serene clean vocals infused with tribal and primeval nuances, featuring spot-on backing vocals by guests Inger Sunneva Peersen and Sonja Elisabeth Peerson.

We must all admit it’s a real pleasure to witness Enslaved experimenting and developing new sounds album after album, and in Utgard, which by the way is available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, let’s say they nailed it, offering us all a well-balanced mix of their more violent roots with their present progressiveness and harmony. Hence, don’t forget to give those Norwegian metallers a shout on Facebook, to follow them on Instagram, to subscribe to their YouTube channel, and to purchase Utgard from their own BandCamp page (or simply click HERE for all location where you can find the album), and may Enslaved keep on rocking like there’s no tomorrow through the realms of Viking Metal and Progressive Rock for many decades to come in their gorgeous and mythical homeland.

Best moments of the album: Jettegryta, Homebound and Flight Of Thought And Memory.

Worst moments of the album: Sequence.

Released in 2020 Nuclear Blast

Track listing
1. Fires In The Dark 5:59
2. Jettegryta 4:56
3. Sequence 6:39
4. Homebound 5:29
5. Utgarđr 1:51
6. Urjotun 4:21
7. Flight Of Thought And Memory 6:22
8. Storms Of Utgard 4:38
9. Distant Seasons 4:31

Band members
Grutle Kjellson – vocals, bass, keyboards
Arve Isdal – lead guitars, acoustic guitars, backing vocals on “Fires In The Dark”
Ivar Bjørnson – guitars, acoustic guitars, keyboards, effects, backing vocals on “Fires In The Dark”
Håkon Vinje – keyboards, piano, clean vocals
Iver Sandøy – drums, percussion, keyboards, effects, clean vocals

Guest musicians
Martin Horntveth – percussion, glockenspiel, rototoms, tubular bells, keyboards and programming on “Sequence”
Inger Sunneva Peersen – backing vocals on “Distant Seasons”
Sonja Elisabeth Peerson – backing vocals on “Distant Seasons”