Immortal (band)
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Statistics
- Genre: Black metal, death metal
- Country: Norway
- Status: Dissolved
- Time: 1989-2003
Biography
Beginning in 1989, founding members Demonaz Doom Occulta on guitar, Abbath Doom Occulta on bass and vocals, Armagedda on drums, and Jorn Tunsberg on guitar recorded two demos under the name "Amputation". The group changed its name to "Immortal" around 1991. Their third demo, Unholy Forces of Evil, witnessed a stylistic change to black metal and earned them a record contract.
Gradually, Immortal gained immense popularity in the underground, releasing several highly-acclaimed records on the French label Osmose. Unlike many other black metal bands, Immortal's lyrical theme was not based around Satanism, but rather dealt with an imaginary kingdom called Blashyrkh. Arguably, their best effort from this early period is Pure Holocaust, which served as a genre-defining milestone.
In 1995 the band released two video clips directed by British artist David Palser entitled "Masters of Nebulah Frost" through Osmose Productions that became the template for many other bands producing such works and containing bizarrely shot images of frozen landscapes and vast forests.
Apart from the two core members Abbath and Demonaz, Immortal didn't find a stable lineup until 1996 when Horgh joined the band on the drums. In 1997, main lyricist and guitarist Demonaz suffered an arm injury (acute tendonitis) and wasn't able to continue playing. Still, he continued writing new material and managed the band, while bassist Abbath took over the guitar duty. The change proved to be only for the better, as Immortal released what many feel is their best album, At The Heart Of Winter. In 2000, Immortal signed a record contract with Germany-based Nuclear Blast; this change to an arguably more commercial label didn't affect their style, something which they proved on their latest output, Sons of Northern Darkness.
Immortal decided to split up during the summer of 2003 for personal reasons of the band members.
Interesting Notes:
- 'Pure Holocaust' and 'Battles In The North' were recorded with Demonaz on Guitar and Abbath on Bass, Vocals, and Drums (despite Grim being credited on drums on 'Pure Holocaust').
- 'Blizzard Beasts' is the only album featuring the classic line up of Abbath, Demonaz and Horgh.
- Hellhammer offered to join the group in 1995 but Abbath and Demonaz refused for whatever reason.
- Drummer Grim (Erik) killed himself in 1999.
Discography
Studio Releases
- Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism - (1992)
- Pure Holocaust - (1993)
- Battles In The North - (1995)
- Blizzard Beasts - (1997)
- At The Heart Of Winter - (1999)
- Damned In Black - (2000)
- Sons Of Northern Darkness - (2002)
Demos And Bootlegs
- Suffocation [Demo] - (1989)
- The Northern Upins Death [Demo] - (1990)
- Unholy Forces Of Evil [Demo] - (1991)
- Live In Zaandam [Bootleg] - (1996)
Band Members
Main Members
- Abbath Doom Occulta (Olve Eikemo) - Vocals, Bass, Guitar, Synth, Drums & Lyrics - (1989-2003)
- Demonaz Doom Occulta (Harald Nævdal) - Guitar & Lyrics (Switched to Lyricist & Band Manager after his injury) - (1989-2003)
- Iscariah (Stian Smørholm) - Bass - (1999-2002)
- Horgh (Reidar Horghagen) - Drums - (1996-2003)
- Armagedda - Drums - (1989-1992)
Session Members
- Saroth (Yngve Liljebäck) - Bass (Live Only) - (2002-2003)
- Ares - Bass (Live Only) - (1998)
- Hellhammer (Jan Axel von Blomberg) - Drums (Live Only) - (1995)
- Grim (Erik Brødreskift) - Drums (Live Only) - (1993-1994)
- Kolgrim - Drums (Demo Only) - (1992)
- Jörn Tonsberg - Guitar (Demo Only) - (1989-1991)
External links
- Osmose Productions (Record Label) (http://www.osmoseproductions.com)
- Nuclear Blast (Record Label) (http://www.nuclearblast.de/)de:Immortal