By Rob Kachluba
Demonaz, long being Abbath of Immortal’s main sidekick (and live performer for many of years) had to take a break from performing live with Immortal due to a hand aliment. After a number of years off, he has released his debut solo effort. First thing you notice about the music is how similar it sometimes sounds like Abbath’s project I, which makes since Ice Dale and Armagedda worked on that highly successful debut as well.
Lots of midpaced Bathory styled riffing and similar vocal stylings here, but where I was a outlet for Abbath to get his Motorhead vibe out of his system Demonaz tends to stay with a more epic blackened style of delivery. Opener “All Blackened Sky” storms out of the gate in a full on choral arrangement that makes you feel you are on the front line heading for war. “March of the Norse” and “A Son of a Sword” follow mainly in the same style of midpaced Bathory and a slower tempo Immortal. Really catchy and melodic, the whole album has a nice flow and you can really bang your head to it. The production is very warm and sounds great cranked up loud. One small complaint is it does tend to stay in the same tempo and has a lot of the same ideas in the choral arrangements and guitar soloing, but it never loses its epic feel.This album sits nicely with the I and the latest Immortal.
(Nuclear Blast)
