Reviews list for Immortal - Battles in the North (1995)

While 1993's "Pure Holocaust" sophomore album was the record that cemented Norwegian black metal icons Immortal as a band that commanded my interest, it was third full-length "Battle in the North" that saw them joining the top tier of the genre for me personally & I still regard it as a black metal classic today. I purchased the digipack CD upon release (along with a long-sleeve shirt that I wore around the scene religiously for a while there) & it received a good ol' flogging during the back end of 1995. Immortal upped the brutality significantly once front man Abbath took over the drumming duties on "Pure Holocaust" but this? This was a whole different kettle of fish & still sits amongst the most intense extreme metal releases ever recorded. The riffs are swarming & inhuman, the drumming is relentlessly pummeling & Abbath's signature croaky vocals are demonic & sinister, not to mention ridiculously catchy. There are those critics out there who criticize Abbath's drumming as being incompetent but that's not a valid concern if you know a thing or two about extreme metal drumming. Sure, his kick drum work isn't always super-precise but the clicky kick drum triggers that are right at the front of the mix go a long way to highlighting every blemish & these imperfections aren't anything unusual for black metal drummers. His arms are not a problem at all though & it's really the guitars that struggle to keep up with the frantic rhythms at times. That's what people are complaining about without actually realising the root cause. This minor flaw is not a significant problem for me anyway though with songs like the title track, "Cursed Realms of the Winterdemons" & "At the Stormy Gates of Mist" being some of my all-time favourite black metal numbers. There isn't a weak number amongst the ten on offer & I'm gonna suggest that "Battle in the North" is easily Immortal best album, leaving highly regarded releases like "Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism", "At the Heart of Winter" & "Sons of Northern Darkness" in the dust.

For fans of Inquisition, Abbath & Mayhem.

An enjoyable and intense black metal album that succeeds despite its flaws.

The first thing you'll notice about Battles in the North is the drumming. There are plenty of reasons why this is the case, not least amongst them is that they are extremely high in the mix. Considering how relentless and chaotic Abbath's percussive style is, it can be difficult to hear anything beyond it at times. Then there's the fact that the drumming is regularly a bit...well...off. Some of the blast beats are just not up to scratch and the occasional change-up rather clunky to say the least. I think he was simply trying to play faster than he was capable of and it's hard to believe that the band themselves didn't pick up on this. But somehow, despite all these flaws, the drums just can't destroy my enjoyment of this album!

There were only two actual members at this stage with Abbath taking on drums, bass and vocals, while Demonaz handled guitar. Demonaz always produced utterly cold and wicked riffs and Battles in the North is filled with them. Many of these tracks are memorable even though they follow a similar blueprint of intense blast beats, ice-cold riffs and Abbath's immediately recognisable vocal style. The main element that allows these tracks to remain in the subconscious is the way the vocals interplay with the riffs. I've mentioned in previous reviews how much Abbath sounds like a really pissed off Popeye, but damn it if he's not one of the best performers in the business. He doesn't have any range at all, but he absolutely nails the timing and venom necessary to get the best out of the atmosphere.

Don't bother getting Battles in the North if you don't like anything else Immortal has produced. It's basically the main elements of the band turned up to the max with no respite. But anyone that digs extreme, destructive black metal should submit themselves to this immediately. Just make sure you give those riffs and vocals a chance to sink their claws in past the rather infamous drumming performance. The title track is the highlight of the album for me but Grim in Frostbitten Kingdoms, Cursed Realms of Winterdemons, At the Stormy Gates of Mist and Circling Above in Time Before Time are all cracking Immortal pieces.