IMMORTAL — War Against All (review)

Album · 2023 · Black Metal

3.5/5 · 2023-07-18
siLLy puPPy

While IMMORTAL seems like it lives up to its name as one of the earliest examples of second wave black metal coming out of the frigid Norwegian angsty breeding grounds, this band has been subject to what the majority suffer as the decades cede to the next. In this case founder Abbath and later arrivals Horgh and Apollyon jumping ship after “All Shall Fall.” Nobody really expected anything significant ever to come out of IMMORTAL again but then fans we’re surprised to find “Northern Chaos Gods” faithfully keeping the second wave back metal flame alive in 2018, a year when most pioneering black metal acts had drifted into myriad directions. Whittled down to a mere trio that album kicked as like a muthafucker and to my ears at least promoted IMMORTAL to ranks of keepers of the old school flame.

Well it was inevitable a following album would ensue and here in 2023 five years later WAR AGAINST ALL has emerged from the icy fjords to once again show the whippersnappers how old school black metal is done only this time minus Horgh. Welcome to the Demonaz show! Yep, the sole founding member left to steer the IMMORTAL ship has pretty much taken control of the helm and recruited the talents of seasoned bassist Ice Dale who has played with many a band including Enslaved as well as drummer Kevin Kvåle of various lesser known bands such as Gaahis Wyrd, Harm and Horizon Ablaze. Sticking to the faithful playbook of the true and tried second wave sound, WAR AGAINST ALL follows in the footsteps of its predecessor by eschewing any experimental developments or journey into the forever cross-pollinating black metal universe. No way! This album just blows out your eardrums.

Pretty much the same shtick, a second wave black metal album set to 21st century head banging features the usual tremolo picking, raspy vocals, buried bass lines and three chord bombast that was quite popular some 30 years ago. However as Darkthrone has mostly abandoned its black metal roots and while bands like Enslaved went totally progressive, the new rendition of IMMORTAL has gravitated to the instant gratification that made their earliest albums so endearing however original fans of this style are also 30 years older and presumable more refined in their musical tastes and the younger audience is all about more mind-warping sophisticated black metal that veers into the psychedelic, avant-garde and progressive worlds. Nevertheless WAR AGAINST WAR is a decent if inferior album that takes on the old school charm.

Things have slowed down a bit from “Northern Chaos Gods.” That album rubbed me the right way because of its speed fueled savagery and incessant bombast that kept my adrenaline fueled for the entire run. WAR AGAINST ALL seems to have taken its approach to going even further back into the demo stages of the second wave. The songs are simpler, less energetic and the production is also less enthralling. With all IMMORTAL has been through its amazing that any band member has kept this project for so long but i guess when your brand name has such universal recognition it’s hard to put a cash cow to rest. All in all, WAR AGAINST ALL is a decent album that features more softer moments than its predecessor. Sure there is absolutely nothing new under the sun. IMMORTAL fans will want to have this as it’s a worthy addition to the canon but ultimately it’s one of the weakest albums from the band in a long time. The immortality may be running thin.