review by: Roberto Martinelli

Immortal has taken the best bits of their previous album, Damned in Black, and given us fans everything that last album was supposed to be. Don't get me wrong, I totally love Damned in Black, but I do remember feeling disappointed by it the first time I heard it. Following such an essential album like At the Heart of Winter, which was huge and epic, Damned in Black just felt rushed somehow.

In fact, Sons of Northern Darkness, while maybe not being overall as great as At the Heart of Winter, nor having riffs as individually fantastic as Damned in Black, is nonetheless the best of the both worlds of the last two albums. While it's true that there is a slight taste of riff recycle, this album is ultimately so totally satisfying that there is no question that this is destined to be one of the top metal albums this year.

What you get, in the "new," post-Demonaz age of Immortal, is a proper album, one that lasts an hour and that is chock full of songs with loads of different parts. As usual, Abbath and Horgh show that they can write the best riffs in black metal. (Well, ok, admittedly Immortal isn't totally the full-on, pioneering, "true" black metal band it used to be, but the new incarnation is just as great.) You still get the right amounts of burst of speed, matched with a fine flair for arrangements and dynamics, including the unique "clean" guitar tone first introduced on the quintessential song "Blashyrkh" seven years ago. Abbath's vocals aren't as raw as before. It seems that his most brutal stuff may have ended with At the Heart..., but nonetheless he is in fine form and is still eminently recognizeable.

Unfortunately you won't be getting a review of any real objectivity here. Sorry about that, because Immortal is indirectly one of the reasons this zine even exists. When one of my favorite bands ever releases yet another totally great album, all I can say is, get your ass to a record store and buy a copy! Get one for all your friends, too. (and check out our interview with Immortal in this issue!)