Artist: Immortal
Label: Osmose Productions
Release Date: 4/10/00
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Title: Damned in Black Artist: Immortal Label: Osmose Productions Release Date: 4/10/00 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Abyss's Review:
These guys wasted no time coming out with the follow up to last year's masterpiece, At the Heart of Winter. That disc was my pick for the best album of 1999, and here it is barely a year later, and I have new material to savor. Would these Norsemen blow me away with a new sound, would they show an inability to endure by having nothing left to offer, or would they do something else?
Well I'm happy to say that if you liked their last album, you're in for much of the same. While it is somewhat disappointing when a band dosen't show much of an evolution, we have to put faith in that old adage: IF IT AIN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT. And that's exactly what we have. A disc full of cool riffs that blend thrash and death, and they present it with enough keyboards and layers for it to come across as black. Each song has a handful of quality riffs, and there are changes in sounds and tempo galore. It's pretty much impossible to get sick of these guys.
"Well I'm happy to say that if you liked their last album, you're in for much of the same." The percussion struck me first on this album. They've chosen (on this disc as well as on past ones) to incorporate the expected fast blastbeats with straitforward rock drumming. Take away some of the presentation and parts of this sound as though they could be a rock radio staple from the seventies. Now, I don't expect anyone to agree right off the bat, because these are very subtle nuances, and I think they really add to the sound. The guitars work in the same way at times, presenting a rock 'n roll riff amongst the blackness, but it never comes across as anything but extreme. Death 'n Roll this ain't, but it does borrow just enough of the concept to make this record more accessible.
The main reason this band continues to kick ass, however, is the songwriting. Although I was disappointed that there are only seven tracks on this platter, each song is a keeper, and is also easily distinguishable from the rest. Combine these remarkable compositions with the crisp, clear production (that many extreme bands seem to fear since many think it takes away from the weight) and you have a great disc throughout. All the different sounds that are utilized are easily deciphered and add to the overall enjoyment.
"Death 'n Roll this ain't, but it does borrow just enough of the concept to make this record more accessible." The only negative I can think of is that some of the works seem almost unfinished. More than one track fades out before the song has a chance to give a sense of completeness. Almost as though the band took the attitude of many comedians and "left us wanting more." The cover work (assuming what I have will be the final coverwork) is also not that happening, but I guess that's not a big deal. It's just them standing around made up and making metal faces. Of course, I am rather happy that they seem to have lost weight, and they kept their shirts on this time. Perhaps that's why they are on the cover, showing off the new Jenny Craig. Who knows, maybe they'll start starring in commercials with Monica Lewinski.
Death's Review:
In my harshest, most cynical moments, I can't help but think of black metal as the sub genre which eliminated all my favorite musical elements (intricate, technical riffing and epic drumming, strong vocals, ripping guitar solos and interesting lyrics) and replaced them by overemphasizing all of my least favorite musical elements (goofy, cartoon imagery, fantastically ridiculous mystical lyrics, poor productions and bad sounding keyboards.) Honestly folks, what's to applaud?
"In my harshest, most cynical moments, I can't help but think of black metal as the sub genre which eliminated all my favorite musical elements ." Nevertheless, I reluctantly submit to the forces of darkness by recognizing not only that black metal plays an important role in the modern metal scene, but also that many of these bands have some pretty killer chops and independent merit. Of course, I like the ones most others call sellouts or not true black metal: newer Cradle of Filth, newer Satyricon, and newer Emperor. And when everyone was raving last year about Immortal's In the Heart of Winter, I had to give it a spin myself.
My reaction was twofold: 1) pretty killer old-metal-based yet decidedly black metal thrashing; 2) stupid looking band photos on the packaging. These guys looked more like professional wrestlers than musicians. It was so ridiculous I laughed out loud the first time I saw the inside cover. Not the reaction most bands hope to achieve. But, like I said, the riffs were good, and the songs were metal. Immortal seemed to come from a more metal place than some of their peers -- I could more easily trace them to Judas Priest than a lot of their Siousxee and the Banshees-loving peers.
"Immortal are working their way into the mainstream metalhead's field of vision." This record is more of the same. Only with better pictures on the cover. Tracks like "In Our Mystic Visions Blest" and "Wrath From Above" further establish Immortal as a force to be reckoned with in the United States. A solid album on the heels of a fun U.S. tour with Satyricon and March Metal Meltdown performance, Immortal are working their way into the mainstream metalhead's field of vision. Is this a good or a bad thing? I'll leave it to you to decide.
Hel's Review:
How can you not like an album titled, Damned in Black? I can’t even think of a much cooler title. On the other hand, I was dismayed when I saw the length of this offering. I’ve gotten longer demos than this. While each of the seven songs is substantial, the mere fact that there are so few made me react initially and still makes me feel a little robbed.
But it’s important to get past things like that and try to enjoy the album for what it is. The other thing I immediately noted was the understated keyboards I detected during "Triumph." Everything else in the song is at a much louder volume and therefore I had to listen closely with my stereo turned up to catch it. Unfortunately, I have neither the attention span nor the ability to keep my stereo loud enough (my crazy neighbor’s home) to figure out whether this is true for this song only or throughout the disc.
"How can you not like an album titled, Damned in Black? I can't even think of a much cooler title." At any rate, it could be a blessing that the keys are not heard, since what is here is damn fine. Plenty of ferocious drumming, bass and guitar riffs and screaming vocals. Oh, so you need a little more than that? The drumming is the rapid-fire kind that I like so much. And "Wrath from Above" features a repeated extended scream that could practically be the chorus. There are also nice time changes scattered in select songs.
On the whole, Damned in Black is a damn fine album. There’s a big part of me that feels guilty about always giving out good scores, the Homer Simpson food critic that likes everything. So I could be using the brevity of the album as an out, a reason to cut a skull from the score. And I have to remind myself of my skull awarding philosophy. I look at it like giving grades in school, where the rating system is A-B-C... and even though a C is average, it still feels sucky, and a B is the lowest emotionally acceptable grade. By those standards, Immortal still earns an A, short change and all.
"Immortal still earns an A, short change and all."
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