IMMORTAL Band Description:

  IMMORTAL is a Norwegian black metal band from Bergen, founded in 1991 by vocalist/bassist Olve Eikemo, better known as "Abbath," and guitarist Harald Nævdal, better known as "Demonaz." The group has often operated as a core duo with shifting collaborators, and longtime drummer Reidar "Horgh" Horghagen joined in 1996 (later departing in the 2020s). IMMORTAL has released ten studio albums and is known for its frostbitten, riff-driven black metal, plus the band’s iconic corpse paint era and stark, wintry visual identity.

  Early Years:

  IMMORTAL's early years were marked by a flurry of activity, with the band releasing three full-length albums in four years. Their debut album, "Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism," was released in 1992 and quickly found its audience in the black metal underground. The album showcased the band’s early signature: tremolo-picked riffs, blasting momentum, and Abbath’s raspy, snarling delivery cutting through the storm.

  In 1993, IMMORTAL released their second album, "Pure Holocaust." The record tightened the attack with a colder, more focused sound than the debut while still keeping the raw edge that defined the era. It’s widely regarded as a genre cornerstone for its relentless pacing and glacial atmosphere.

  IMMORTAL's third album, "Battles in the North," was released in 1995. The production is famously harsh and wintry rather than polished, pushing the music into a thin, ice-breath extreme that matches the band’s themes. Tracks like "Blashyrkh (Mighty Ravendark)" and "Grim and Frostbitten Kingdoms" became fan favorites and helped lock in IMMORTAL’s mythic cold-world identity.

  Lineup Changes and Continued Success:

  In 1997, IMMORTAL released their fourth album, "Blizzard Beasts." The album leaned into shorter, more focused songwriting and sharper riffs, flirting with thrashier muscle while keeping the black metal bite. It divided some listeners, but it also showed the band refusing to stand still.

  In 1999, IMMORTAL released their fifth album, "At the Heart of Winter." The album broadened the band’s palette with bigger, more epic structures and a colder, more anthemic drive. Many fans consider it a high point for how it fuses atmosphere with riff-first power.

  In 2002, IMMORTAL released their seventh album, "Sons of Northern Darkness." The record is heavier, clearer, and more expansive than the early releases, without turning into orchestral or symphonic metal. It was a major late-era statement before the band split in 2003.

  Following the split, IMMORTAL later reunited in the mid-2000s and returned with "All Shall Fall" in 2009. The album kept the classic cold-fire approach, with Abbath again handling vocals and guitars while Demonaz remained central as lyricist and creative architect during that period.

  Recent Years and Legacy:

  In 2015, IMMORTAL entered a public legal dispute and Abbath departed; afterward, the band continued under the IMMORTAL name with Demonaz taking over vocals and guitar. "Northern Chaos Gods" was released in 2018 and signaled a hard return to the band’s icy core. In 2023, "War Against All" followed, credited to Demonaz as the sole official member, proving the Blashyrkh engine still runs even when the lineup freezes over.