History & Biography Amputation was formed in 1989 as a death metal band in Bergen. This band issued the Suffocation and The Northern Upirs Death demos before switching over to Immortal. The guys also operated Old Funeral which featured Christian of Burzum. Guitarist Jørn Tunsberg would leave Amputation to form Hades. Then came the Unholy Forces Of Evil 1991 7" EP through Listenable records which at this time had begun work with Osmose Productions. The Latter label would sign the Norwegians. Armagedda would be fired from the band following the debut ostensibly because of a lack of playing ability. His replacement was one Kolgrim. Osmose would call the band's music Holocaustdemonmetal. The next album was supported through the Fuck Christ tour in conjunction with Blasphemy.
Drummer Brødreskift would be asked to leave and would soon reappear in Gorgoroth. The band would later claim Abbath had played all drums on the Pure Holocaust album. Brødreskift would commit suicide in October, 1999. In the meanwhile, Mayhem's Hellhammer had sat in with the band. Prior to the start of a tour in 1997 Demonaz injured his hand and was not able to perform live anymore. Instead, he continued writing new material for the band. In 2000 the band switched from the French label Osmose to Germany's Nuclear Blast. Damned In Black had been the band's best-selling album and had even charted in Europe. The band would support the album through a North American tour with Angelcorpse and Krisiun. Angelcorpse was not impressed by its Norwegian openers. Immortal's bassist Iscariah left the band in 2002 to concentrate on Grimfist - also featuring Pain and Immortal drummer Horg. In a statement the man said, “I have basically followed my instincts and my gut feeling and came to the conclusion that I am leaving Immortal...I am not retiring. I just want to do what feels right for ME. At this point I am still involved in several other bands.” Immortal has already recruited a new bassist. The band's North American tour with Hypocrisy and Entombed was cancelled and the band would join Manowar on the road.
In July, 2003 the band surprised the metal world by announcing its break-up at the peak of its success. This happened after a year of non-stop touring which included a trek with Manowar in North America. The band's new label Nuclear Blast had issued a press release denying the break up report and mischaracterizing it as a 'break.' Not surprisingly, the band ‘reformed’ in 2006 and announced shows for 2007.
Abbath and Armagedda reappeared in the band I and leveraged Immortal’s contract with Nuclear Blast Records. Demonaz Occulta announced a solo project called Demonaz at the end of 2007. The project was aided by Abbath.
Immortal released its comeback album, All Shall Fall, on September 25th, 2009 in Europe and October 6th in North America through Nuclear Blast Records. It was recorded at Grieghallen and Abyss studios in Norway and Sweden, respectively. In order to create some hype, the label and the band’s management issued the following statement: “The album has been presented to a few journalists already, but no one will get a physical copy! There will be NO promotional copies of the new album. NO watermarked downloads will be available via the Nuclear Blast iPool. Also, be sure that NO song will be streamed on the internet in advance before the official release date.” All Shall Fall, the first new album in seven years from reunited Norwegian black metal band Immortal, debuted at #7 on the Heatseekers Album chart (new & developing artists who have never appeared in the Top 100 of the Billboard Top 200 chart) and at #162 on the Billboard 200 for selling 3,300 copies in one week in the USA. Immortal would release a live concert DVD, called The Seventh Date Of Blashyrkh, in the summer of 2010 through Nuclear Blast. The DVD would include footage of the band's headlining show at the 2007 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival, which was held August 2-4, 2007 in Wacken, Germany. Former Immortal Demonaz’s solo debut, March Of The Norse, was available in North America on May 17th of 2011 through Nuclear Blast.
In late 2014, Immortal singer Abbath publicly asserted that he should be granted the rights to the black metal band's name and logo after guitarist Demonaz and drummer Horgh left the band – at least temporarily pending the resolution of their conflicts with the singer – earlier in 2014. Abbath's application to the Norwegian Intellectual Property Office was disputed by a lawyer for Demonaz and Horgh. Demonaz, who experienced arm problems in 1997, had been unable to play guitars since then. Following a legal battle with his former band-mates Abbath decided to write and perform under his own name going forward. The band Abbath was writing songs in 2015 and would appear at Blastfest in Bergen, Norway in 2016. The original line-up of Norway’s Old Funeral reunited for a show on November 15th at BlekkMetal show in its hometown of Bergen, Norway. On the stage were Olve Eikemo (Abbath formerly of Immortal) on vocals and bass, Tore Bratseth on guitar and Padde (also formerly of Immortal) on drums. Immortal — nowadays guitarist Demonaz and drummer Horgh — were in the studio recording a new full-length album, which was due in late 2017 through Nuclear Blast. The band’s Northern Chaos Gods was out through Nuclear Blast in July. The record would be the band’s first in a decade.
Horgh left in 2020 and only Demonaz was left behind. Immortal would release a new album, entitled War Against All, through Nuclear Blast Records in early 2023. The band was promising no surprises.
Abbath used to be married to Demonaz's sister with whom he had a son called Torbjørn. The son would also drum.
Reviews IMMORTAL - BLIZZARD BEASTS - OSMOSE
Norway's Immortal has provided a surprise jolt when one least expected it. The band whose reputation is built upon foundations of speed and evil imagery has retained its identity; yet, imported a new element. That element is a Morbid Angel-esque technicality which has found its way unto the band's output. It might be that the band rubbed shoulders with the Americans on tour and soaked in a bit too much, or the introduction of a new drummer has made all the difference in the world (I would stick with the former theory), but Immortal has discovered intense musicianship. The Norwegians are still speed demons who bash heads without pause song after song; yet the newly found maturity and advanced compositional skills which the band has added to its baggage ascends this, its fourth album, to new heights. Song after song is laden with brutal riffing. A song like Mountains Of Might, for example, is exactly the definition of talent in black metal. Devotees might cry over the lessened blur on certain tracks or complain that the new twist is uncharted for the trio (or already charted by Morbid Angel), but fact remains that Blizzard Beasts is a darn fine album. - Ali "The Metallian"
IMMORTAL - SONS OF NORTHERN DARKNESS - NUCLEAR BLAST
What a major loss for Osmose Productions and a win for Nuclear Blast Immortal has proven to be. Going back all the way to the days of Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism, one had no way of knowing the cacophony that was Immortal would one day become a band with riffs; dare I say it melody and even guitar harmony. No fear though for Immortal is still Immortal, the superior force of the Norwegian horde; only one that masters its instruments nowadays. All this is opener One By One. On Sons Of Northern Darkness Abbath proves he's lost none of his menace with his voice chewing a thousand lesser mortals to bits. Tyrants pulls back and chugs along. The self-reference on In My Kingdom Cold is indeed an icy blast of evil. This band is frightfully tight. The song works its magic freezing friend and foe in a stun of acquiescence. The song is reminiscent of the band's hitherto best composition Mountains Of Might lyrically, perhaps even musically with its less chaotic midsection. Beyond The North Waves is Immortal's ode to Bathory hitting hard as Enter The Eternal Fire once commanded. Brilliant sound, frightening progression and immortal metal all converge on one disc here. No wonder the Sons Of Northern Darkness makes Dimmu Borgir, Borknagar, Emperor et al look as old and haggard as the dying leaves of a tree facing the coming storm of the northern winter. - Ali "The Metallian"
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