Damned in Black (CD - 2000)

Recorded in September 1994.

Immortal includes: Abbath (vocals, guitar); Iscariah (bass); Horgh (drums).

Producers include: Peter Tagtgren, Abbath, Horgh.

Recorded at Abyss Studios, Sweden between October 1999 and February 2000.

Personnel: Abbath Doom Occulta (vocals, guitar); Horgh (drums).

Audio Mixer: Peter Tägtgren.

Recording information: Abyss Studios, Sweden (10/1999-02/2000).

Battles in the North, Immortal's third razor-caked candy bar, is considered by many to be one of black metal's defining moments. Like its highly regarded, slower, and slightly less-focused predecessor, Pure Holocaust, Battles in the North is a furious, somewhat under-produced, unrelenting assault of blastbeats, demon-reptile vocals, and buzzing guitars assembled for one reason only: to unleash the misbegotten souls of frozen Norwegian landscapes into glorious battle against all things remotely commercial or accessible, taking no prisoners. The result is ten blurry tracks of hyper-tempo blackness that somehow corral melody within a constant rhythmic pummel, especially on bona fide classic cuts "Circling Above in Time Before Time" and "Blashyrkh (Mighty Ravendark)." Never before had such anti-production benefited an album's theme, the sometimes-indiscernible wash of guitars and blasting drums invoking visions of whiteout blizzards, with only vocalist Abbath Doom Occulta's creepy croak -- spewing startlingly effective and poetic English-as-a-second-language war imagery -- able to permeate such dense instrumental storms. Oh, and the title track may just be the most devastating, skin-filleting shriek of black metal pain ever to emanate from Scandinavia's wintry clime. Snicker at their frowny-faced corpse-paint makeup if you must, but Immortal is all business, all metal, all the time, and undeniably so; if a demented grin creeps across the listener's face, it's more from the realization that these painted Norwegians are truly off their rockers, hopelessly devoted to their unwavering creation. Battles in the North is an album that set Immortal apart from their black metal brethren, boasting a consistency of theme and an instrumental efficiency matched by few within the genre, never bowing to pretension (see Emperor's keyboard-ridden classical influences) or pointlessly kowtowing to the ridiculous mores of the "true black metal" underground (see Darkthrone's nigh-unlistenable, garage-tape-quality catalog). Immortal had invented their own frostbitten niche, devoting their mortal soul to metal, and after Battles in the North, there was no turning back. ~ John Serba

And Immortal treks on through bitter, icy landscapes, quietly and efficiently becoming (arguably) the most inspired and important band in black metal. Damned in Black is the second album of Immortal's hellish Holy Trinity, released between creative breakthrough At the Heart of Winter and well-honed masterpiece Sons of Northern Darkness. In comparison, Damned in Black strikes one as being the family's nasty, spiteful little brother, sounding slightly rushed, unkempt, and panicky, with whirlwind blastbeats more prominent in the arrangements. But the album benefits from this approach; it's an angrier, more fiery record, especially during barnburners "Triumph," "My Dimension," and "In Our Mystic Visions Blest," which nod respectfully toward the band's speed-drenched early days, albeit with the more balanced, well-crafted songwriting skills of latter-day Immortal. "Against the Tide (In the Arctic World)," "The Darkness That Embrace Me," and the title track are more melodic and grandly epic, complex but never unwieldy. Immortal's greatest strength is their well-conceived instrumental approach -- it's never self-indulgent or fanciful, always memorable, and only living to serve the song. Producer Peter Tagtgren has seen many of his Scandinavian brethren through the doors of his Abyss Studios, but he's never gelled with any group quite like Immortal, giving the band a robust, deceptively simple, and consistently devastating mix. Ultimately, Damned in Black proves that this Norwegian trio -- still admirably clinging to their traditional evil Kiss makeup -- prays only to their armor-clad, bullet-belted metal muse. While it will most likely be overlooked considering Immortal's brightest and deadliest moments came before and after it (respectively), Damned in Black proves to be just as powerful as anything else in the band's increasingly impressive canon. ~ John Serba minimize