Immortal - War Against All (2023)

Unleashing their traditional ravaging intensity, Immortal is back after five years with the blistering “War Against All”. Delivering nearly 40 minutes of head banging glory, this release is as great as you can expect from Demonaz and company. We have always been great fans of the band’s intense guitar driven approach and they never fail to disappoint as this one is filled to the brim with masterful riffing and crafty drumming.

Opening with the album title track, we immediately get transported back to the simpler days of “Battles in the North”. As we transition into “Thunders of Darkness” and the superb catchiness of “Wargod”, the band’s old-school signature style perfectly blends with the crystal clear production values. We particularly enjoyed “Return to Cold” and “Nordlandihr” filled with epic head banging moments, and some excellent melodic passages.

Fast and to the point pieces like “Immortal” and “Blashyrkh My Throne” further cement Demonaz’s legendary status in the scene. The drums in this release are recorded by Kevin Kvåle, the beast behind the kit for Gaahls Wyrd and Ice Dale on base and production/recording duties, making this release sound as frosty and explosive as you can expect.

Overall, “War Against All” is one of those releases that are set to become instant classics. Any fan of Immortal will certainly love that they continue to release albums in the same vein as their older material, but continue to strive to further polish their signature sound. If you like your Black Metal fast, melodic, and frosty, you can’t get a better release than this one in 2023.

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Release: May 26th, 2023

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Norway