Demonaz. Now there's a name to conjure with.
One of the Doom Occulta brothers and responsible for co-writing some of the greatest heavy metal in any sub-genre. Always part of the very spine of Immortal but for so long out of the performance spotlight. And suddenly... The arrival of this album raises quite a few questions: Its been many years since Demonaz last played with Immortal due to his tendonitis, though of course he has always been in that band at its cold Tyrant heart, so why this album now? Did he get that final nudge from someone or was it just that Demonaz works to his own timescale? Did working on 'Between Two Worlds' prove to be the final piece? Well I'll probably never find out but maybe, with Abbath reportedly now on bass, the clue is in the lineup.
A classy, unassuming cover in black and silver with a classic metal font logo wraps this album. Simple, no frills. Hit play and after a gentle acoustic intro called 'Northern Hymn' you are just blasted by one of those unmistakable riffs: A huge, galloping warhorse of a sound, kicking up snow as it charges and hitting you with a ton of war axe before you can breathe.
It's brother to Immortal, no doubt about that, but with Demonaz' rather excellent rasp and some truly gorgeous traditional heavy metal lead work from Ice Dale (who also doubles up on bass on the album) you are more in Bathory 'Blood Fire Death' territory. Think I and their 'Between Two Worlds' album but with... oh shit, just with more of everything. More melody, more thunder from Armagedda and with choruses that will snap your neck so strong is the urge to headbang once they batter down your defences.
'March of the Norse' slows things a touch but lets the traditional heavy metal streak free.
By the time we get to 'Son Of The Sword' and its heartaching hooks and its emotional swell towards the chorus, if you don't want to get up and headbang like a demon then you should probably check yourself into metal rehab straight away. This is indisputably, unequivocally Heavy Metal of the highest order. The highest. Ice Dale utterly commands those riffs and pulls out leads that will have you all misty eyed as Demonaz echoes tales of heroes you feel you fought alongside. You see, this isn’t a film or a comic strip; this is more a fireside tale of veterans talking of things they have seen, times they knew and you are made to feel one of them.
March Of The Norse is one of those rare albums where critical faculties are redundant: You feel it from the tingle on your skin to the fire in your belly. 'Under The Fires', 'Where Gods Rode', 'Legends Of Fire And Ice'; this is unfettered Norse themed metal. Memorable melodies, songs that live in your brain for days, fist pounding, hearth warming, mead drinking metal.
This is why I listen to metal and have done for over 30 years: Because it speaks to me with frost and fire and passion and it puts such a grin on my face. Go on, go out and get one of the albums that I reckon will top quite a few 'Best of 2011' lists even if we are only in March.
He will never read this, I guess, but whatever the reason this album has come out: Demonaz, thank you for doing what you do, this is Precious Metal indeed.
http://www.facebook.com/demonaz
http://www.nuclearblastusa.com/nb/v2/bands/band.php?bandID=396
