Had this on in the car today. Much as I love early Immortal, this album really feels like the sound they always wanted to play. Into Glory Ride influence is really strong on this one, all for the better if you ask me. I like Blizzard Beasts but rarely find myself reaching for it to be honest - this was a serious step up in many ways after that album.
The album doesn't overstay its welcome either. 6 well written tracks and that's it.
That's mad, was thinking of posting about this album today. Flawless, unreal sound on the thing.
I haven't heard that since it came out, my recollection is that it leant towards a death metal, riff-oriented sound - relative to their previous demonfrostmoonforestblashyrkh sound anyway.
Quote from: Carnage on February 21, 2021, 12:04:26 AM
I haven't heard that since it came out, my recollection is that it leant towards a death metal, riff-oriented sound - relative to their previous demonfrostmoonforestblashyrkh sound anyway.
You're probably thinking of Blizzard Beasts. At The Heart of Winter doesn't have much death metal going on.
Possibly. I associate the cover of ATHOW with the one I'm thinking of, might just have my wires crossed.
It's almost classic metal meets BM. Huge, epic sounding songs.
Much prefer Pure Holocaust and would consider PH to be their definitive sound. ATHOW is probably my least favourite of their 90s output.
I've never heard At the Heart of Winter by I like the descriptions above so I'll give it a spin later.
Its a dinger, i only had it on last week, very EPIC sounding.
Im a big fan of blizzard beasts too, it seems to get overlooked. Mountains of Might is so cool. Terrible production mind you, but great album.
Great album. Mist throw it on. Definitely as much heavy metal as black metal. Had a riff from Solarfall stuck in my head for what seemed like years. Like default music. Ha.
Savage album. Totally wore it out back in the day. Sounds absolutely immense ! Great riffs...super atmospheric too. As some have mentioned, it's not pure BM by a long stretch. There's an epic classic metal influence in there. I love Abbath's croak on it !
Got it from the sound cellar back when it came out. Knew COF and Emperor and wanted to try some more BM. Pure blind buy. Just pointed at the thing up behind the glass display as I'd heard of the name but that was all. It was a disappointment at the time. There was none of the keyboard atmospherics I was after and the infamous photos in the inlay were a huge turn off when I was expecting real mystery and evil. Not clowns goofing around.
But when I got a bit more metal experience I grew to love it and there's very few albums I was listening to in the late 90s that I still like now.
It's scarcely a black metal album. A black/heavy riff fest. I've never been too keen on any Immortal but I think they struck a great balance here between the BM aesthetics and accessible but not cheap or corny heavy metal riffing.
I definitely like my black metal a bit more cold, raw and relentless but I do have exceptions such as Dimmu Borgir. You need polished production to pull off any keyboards, orchestral backing etc with the exception of Emperor otherwise it just sounds muddy. That's why ATHOW is low down my list of best immortal albums.
Quote from: Blackout on February 21, 2021, 10:26:11 PM
You need polished production to pull off any keyboards, orchestral backing etc with the exception of Emperor otherwise it just sounds muddy.
No.
There's tons of raw BM with great keyboard/synth. In fact, polished production is a disaster in BM more often than not. And polished production plus keyboards is THE GREAT NO NO.
For (an underground) example I've just finished listening to the Kristallnacht discography compilation. Raw as hell with prominent synth. Great stuff.
Quote from: Grim Reality on February 21, 2021, 10:58:21 PM
Quote from: Blackout on February 21, 2021, 10:26:11 PM
You need polished production to pull off any keyboards, orchestral backing etc with the exception of Emperor otherwise it just sounds muddy.
No.
There's tons of raw BM with great keyboard/synth. In fact, polished production is a disaster in BM more often than not. And polished production plus keyboards is THE GREAT NO NO.
Nah they sound much better with a polished production to my ears and I did say "with exception". Glad you have your preferences and I have mine though.
My go to Immortal album,spin it regularly.
Easily my favourite Immortal album, and one of my all time black metal albums if I'm honest. There are just so many incredible riffs, really good writing. It was a surprise to me, as I basically only picked it up for the cover when I came across it. Now it stays in the car and gets extended winter play especially.
For those interested, Osmose put out a run of vinyl reissues last year and are doing another run this year, which can be pre-ordered now. https://www.osmoseproductions.com/item/2/94903-110402-1231-1-0/120221843/immortal-at-the-heart-of-winter.-sea-blue-vinyl.html
Yep it's an absolute 10 out of 10 record for me. Pure blistering quality metal from start to finish. The production, the songs, the artwork..everything absolutely spot on. A real favourite of mine. Sons of Northern Darkness is a great album aswell.
Beyond the North Waves from Sons..
https://youtu.be/Gwg4WlulO1E
Love that clean guitar section on Solarfall
The clean section in the middle of this is excellent too. The guitar playing other level stuff. Love the marching, almost military feel to it. I know the singer was in a Motörhead tribute band and that mid paced Motörhead march vibe works so well with their more blast/BM stuff. A real exercise in taste and song craftsmanship.
https://youtu.be/ofyxXczVWKk
That's the best tune from the album. Just wish the drums had a bit more power in the mix for those fast blasting sections, but a minor complaint in fairness.
Have it blasting now, it's quality. Can't believe it's 22 years old.
Quote from: Pedrito on February 22, 2021, 10:11:49 AM
Yep it's an absolute 10 out of 10 record for me. Pure blistering quality metal from start to finish. The production, the songs, the artwork..everything absolutely spot on. A real favourite of mine. Sons of Northern Darkness is a great album aswell.
Beyond the North Waves from Sons..
https://youtu.be/Gwg4WlulO1E
Sons is my 2nd favourite Immortal Album and was a serious return to form for them I feel. Battles, PH and Sons would be my top 3 immortal albums.
Just a great band. I've never given All Shall Fall a chance..any love for it on here?
Quote from: Pedrito on February 22, 2021, 03:39:05 PM
Just a great band. I've never given All Shall Fall a chance..any love for it on here?
The crab manoeuvre.... :laugh:
https://youtu.be/sOOebk_dKFo
I absolutely love the album Peadar.... :abbath:
Great album alright even though Pure Holocaust tends to get more spins.
Speaking of album anniversaries, Nightside just turned 27 years old yesterday.
We really were spoilt in those years with the amount of quality black metal releases that came out.
Have it on now,really is a classic,the perfect BM album for me.
I picked up Nightside on vinyl the other week. Great album indeed. Check out Nocternity's A Fallen Unicorn for something along similar lines.
Quote from: Blizzard Beast on February 22, 2021, 06:00:49 PM
Great album alright even though Pure Holocaust tends to get more spins.
Speaking of album anniversaries, Nightside just turned 27 years old yesterday.
We really were spoilt in those years with the amount of quality black metal releases that came out.
Best period for Black metal imo although Swedish Bm became a lot stronger in the noughties.
Quote from: Kurt Cocaine on February 22, 2021, 05:05:32 PM
Quote from: Pedrito on February 22, 2021, 03:39:05 PM
Just a great band. I've never given All Shall Fall a chance..any love for it on here?
The crab manoeuvre.... :laugh:
https://youtu.be/sOOebk_dKFo
I absolutely love the album Peadar.... :abbath:
What a madman :laugh: class. That tune is quality, must give the album a good listen. I think I was confusing it with the I album for some reason, hence not paying it enough attention.
Been blasting Immortal non stop the last few weeks. Love Battles, PH is sick, At the Heart is one of my favourite metal albums full stop. Massive shout out needs to go possibly its equal Sons. I've listened to it plenty but I can't help but feel if any other band had recorded it, we'd be singing its praises from the rooftops. The Bathory worship is something wonderful to behold, but all done in that truly Immortal way. Another album that keeps springing to mind when I listen to the slower somgs is the latest Judas Priest album for some reason. You can tell the lad loves his Megadeth aswell. Little techniques and flourishes he uses. Just pure quality metal. Mustaine could easily have sang this tune..
https://youtu.be/1xi0lODYJF8
Sun No Longer Rises is the definitive Immortal track for me.
Sons is an absolute beast of an album,the chunkier sound brought them to another level.
Personally I think black metal is a load of childish buffoonery (and with that statement I have just alienated 80 percent of this board). Like the level that the likes of Gaahl and Varg Vikernes (amongst many more) went/go to just to show how serious they are about black metal and it's ideologies makes them look absolutely fucking demented. Like cunts like Dead inhaling dead crows or whatever the fuck he was doing is just stupidity at best .
Butttt, that being said, I would nearly have Sons of Northern Darkness in my top 5 all time favourite metal albums (a paradox if ever there was one I'm aware). Beyond the North Waves is just epic stuff and every metal fan should hear it at least once. Have only heard the title track of ATHOW and that's quality stuff so must give the rest of it a spin at some stage.
Quote from: Bogmetaller on February 24, 2021, 07:43:29 AM
Personally I think black metal is a load of childish buffoonery
....he says with an ultimate warrior avatar.
I don't go around in ultimate warrior facepaint though do I? Big difference between having an avatar for the skit and wearing fucking corpse paint and ranting and raving about Satan and burning churches and juvenile shite like that.
I think in your own case you are able to separate the performative element of the artist you admire from your own enjoyment of it but in the case of black metal you can't make the same separation. I don't believe you think that BM fans in general walk around in corpsepaint, carrying candlabra and howling at the moon while burning churches.
No point in debating with a moron.
Wait till he discovers Kiss... :laugh:
I don't think the Ultimate Warrior (ditto for Kiss) takes himself seriously in the same way as, say, Gaahl, and it's a totally understandable perspective to take precisely that earnestness as a form of immaturity rather than, y'know, actual esoteric wisdom or whatever. I find the intellectual elite style BM artists, on the whole, to be deeply cringe.
The only cringe thing in BM is the far left trying to take all the hate and intolerance out of it. Talk about missing the point :laugh:
Quote from: Black Shepherd Carnage on February 24, 2021, 10:20:22 AM
I don't think the Ultimate Warrior (ditto for Kiss) takes himself seriously in the same way as, say, Gaahl
The Ultimate Warrior took himself extremely seriously, he even legally changed his name to Warrior :laugh:
Quote from: Eoin McLove on February 24, 2021, 09:59:04 AM
I think in your own case you are able to separate the performative element of the artist you admire from your own enjoyment of it but in the case of black metal you can't make the same separation. I don't believe you think that BM fans in general walk around in corpsepaint, carrying candlabra and howling at the moon while burning churches.
I would hope that BM fans don't do the above but judging by the live Mayhem thread that was on the old board there's a few that do. I'm merely commenting on the "more evil than thou" shite that a lot of BM musicians go on with. I was reading an old Terrorizer magazine there the other day and there was an interview with Marduk. Fuck me what a painful read. Jon Nodtveidt from Dissection was even worse. Maybe it's all an act and I'm the stupid one for thinking they steadfastly believe everything they're saying though.....
Quote from: Eoin McLove on February 24, 2021, 10:36:10 AM
The only cringe thing in BM is the far left trying to take all the hate and intolerance out of it. Talk about missing the point :laugh:
I also agree with this. But there's nothing inherently "mature" about hate and intolerance.
Quote from: Black Shepherd Carnage on February 24, 2021, 11:05:27 AM
Quote from: Eoin McLove on February 24, 2021, 10:36:10 AM
The only cringe thing in BM is the far left trying to take all the hate and intolerance out of it. Talk about missing the point :laugh:
I also agree with this. But there's nothing inherently "mature" about hate and intolerance.
Ah there is though. The more mature you get the more hateful and intolerant you are.
More often than not when metal bands "mature" it means their drummer went to jazz college and they discovered post rock. Maturing into a nice shade of mid-beige for the polo-neck brigade. Give me immature hate and intolerance attached to music with a bit of testosterone any time.
If only the "adult" in AOR was closer in meaning to the "adult" in all other forms of "adult entertainment"!
Quote from: Eoin McLove on February 24, 2021, 11:21:53 AM
More often than not when metal bands "mature" it means their drummer went to jazz college and they discovered post rock. Maturing into a nice shade of mid-beige for the polo-neck brigade. Give me immature hate and intolerance attached to music with a bit of testosterone any time.
Not gonna lie, Gaahl in a beige polo-neck and red chinos is more horrifying than the "evil" image he puts out.
Quote from: Bogmetaller on February 24, 2021, 11:01:42 AM
I'm merely commenting on the "more evil than thou" shite that a lot of BM musicians go on with. I was reading an old Terrorizer magazine there the other day and there was an interview with Marduk. Fuck me what a painful read. Jon Nodtveidt from Dissection was even worse. Maybe it's all an act and I'm the stupid one for thinking they steadfastly believe everything they're saying though.....
There's probably an argument to be made that the best metal has been made by utter spastics.
At The Heart Of Winter and Sons of Northern Darkness are 2 incredible albums. Abbath is a hell of a guitarist and he really showcases his ability on these. The earlier stuff is great and all but the music can get lost in the noise at times.
Would agree with that. As with any 'movement' some lads just got caught up in their own self importance and started believing the hype. On the other hand, others played on it, maybe subverted it a little bit and developed even cooler and more interesting music out of it. I suppose it all depends on how much you are prepared to buy into the fantasy of it all. Are they just 4 lads with guitars and drums shouting a lot or is there a 'deeper meaning' at play here?
Judging by a lot of the suicides and other stuff that was going on some lads probably took it all a bit too much to heart whereas the lads that are still around could take it more with a pinch of salt, didn't take themselves too seriously to a certain degree. You can be serious about your music and art without going and acting it out I suppose would be the point. The same happened in punk music.
Sons is a great album also, a return to form after damned in black which was a bit flat.
Speaking of Abbath..
https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/abbath-enters-studio-to-record-third-album/ (https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/abbath-enters-studio-to-record-third-album/)
Quote from: Blizzard Beast on February 24, 2021, 01:26:34 PM
Sons is a great album also, a return to form after damned in black which was a bit flat.
Speaking of Abbath..
https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/abbath-enters-studio-to-record-third-album/ (https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/abbath-enters-studio-to-record-third-album/)
Thought the last Abbath and Immortal albums had some really good moments and a few decent songs each, but couldn't help but think there was the chance for one great Immortal album if they joined back up
Anyway ATHOW is my go to for them. Ignored them for ages because I thought their album covers looked ridiculous, but loved the artwork on this one
Quote from: Bogmetaller on February 24, 2021, 07:43:29 AM
Personally I think black metal is a load of childish buffoonery (and with that statement I have just alienated 80 percent of this board).
I'm gone the other way and kinda regard all metal except for black metal as childish buffoonery!
BM is more than music. On the face of it it's daft for sure, but there is deeper meaning in it for certain people.
The majority of non BM metal can seem vacuous and juvenile by comparison.
What does deeper meaning even mean though? A spiritual quest? Religion? Philosophy? A way of life? Definitely not pulling lumps out of it because to each their own but interesting that something that really is an offshoot of rock music has taken on such deeper and more profound meanings for people.
I think that's true of metal in general, or at last it can and should be the case. Metal has always had the capacity to explore a wide range of ideas from the ludicrous to the profound, it's a matter of what you're after. The power of the music can't be disregarded, the same can no doubt be said for any music on the hands and ears of the right individuals. Black metal, because it often takes itself very seriously, must surely be the perfect means to explore profound ideas.
I'd recommend reading Existentiell, Cathal Rodgers's book/zines. They go deep into this stuff.
Interesting. The Martial Arts display similar traits. What one person sees as a brutal and violent end to a confrontation, another might see as a means to self realisation. The Chinese and Japanese martial arts indeed have philosophical principles embedded into their very framework/core, something that Westerners often fail to notice. The very movements employed are often a reflection of higher or embedded principles. In that sense the arts were used to 'teach' people the principles, and the violent result of them became secondary. The soft, yielding ideas of Taoism for example is seen all over Japanese martial arts.
Quote from: Trev on February 24, 2021, 01:54:07 PM
Quote from: Blizzard Beast on February 24, 2021, 01:26:34 PM
Sons is a great album also, a return to form after damned in black which was a bit flat.
Speaking of Abbath..
https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/abbath-enters-studio-to-record-third-album/ (https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/abbath-enters-studio-to-record-third-album/)
Thought the last Abbath and Immortal albums had some really good moments and a few decent songs each, but couldn't help but think there was the chance for one great Immortal album if they joined back up
Anyway ATHOW is my go to for them. Ignored them for ages because I thought their album covers looked ridiculous, but loved the artwork on this one
Your probably right. Immortal were hinting that Abbaths debut album used riffs that were for the last Immortal album Northern Chaos album which might be indeed true as Outstrider was only ok and not as good as the debut.
Quote from: Eoin McLove on February 24, 2021, 09:59:04 AM
I think in your own case you are able to separate the performative element of the artist you admire from your own enjoyment of it but in the case of black metal you can't make the same separation. I don't believe you think that BM fans in general walk around in corpsepaint, carrying candlabra and howling at the moon while burning churches.
Ah here you can't bate an aul moonlight walk with the candelabra, howling like a mad thing.
It's the mystique and moonlit howling that probably attracts me to BM in the first place. What I find is that the quality of the product, to my ears, doesn't always match the wonderful vibe that the imagery creates, which leaves me with a feeling of more style than substance when it comes to many bands. I also find some of the restrictions about is allowed and not is either really cool or just a nice easy suit to throw on so that you don't need to make an effort. That could be said for any genre though.
BUT, I am open to having my head turned on that and certainly some of my favourite bands from any genre operated in and around BM..Enslaved, Dissection, Immortal, Bathory, I'd be prone to a bit of Burzum, COF, Emperor, Mayhem, Venom, Dawn, Sacramentum and the likes. The 'lifestyle' thing is fascinating from a sociological point of view but I like showers too much and pigs blood holds no great interest for me. I'm a fussy cunt though, so my attitude/approach transcends genre tbh.