Album Review: Immortal - 'All Shall Fall'

After a seven-year hiatus, Norwegian’s Black Metal frontrunners return with another dose of menacing and malevolent carnage. Much like an AC/DC album, you know exactly what you are going to get from an Immortal release well before pressing play. 

Entitled ‘All Shall Fall’, Immortal’s eighth studio album is seven tracks of heavy and ominous Scandinavian Black Metal. The over the top corpse paint is back as is the consistent and defined musical melting pot of lightening fast blast beats, pounding guitar riffs and baleful refrains. 

Opening tracks ‘All Shall Fall’ and ‘The Rise of Darkness’ revel in a sound that has carried Immortal the best part of two decades. Down tuned guitar riffs with unwavering double kick are supported well by haunting musical undertones. Front man Abbath Doom Occulta gives the vocal chords a good bashing with his guttural delivery.  

Conversely, songs such as ‘Norden on Fire’ create an atmospheric approach before launching in to another aural assault. 

The imagery the band purports is an endearing sub-plot to the theatrics of black metal – to the point it is almost a prerequisite. It is hard to equate the genre without visualising spikes, paint and knee high leather boots.   

If you want something dark, brooding and intrinsically evil then Immortal are seemingly peerless. From the deepest wintry caverns of Norway, Immortal’s endearment comes from a commitment to a sound that is reliable yet seemingly evolved. 

‘All Shall Fall’ is deliberately heavy and symptomatic of the Black Metal genre. Consistent, precise and daringly evil, Immortal showcase that they will continue to be a major player in heavy music for years to come.

1. All Shall Fall
2. The Rise of Darkness
3. Hordes to War
4. Norden On Fire
5. Arctic Swarm
6. Mount North
7. Unearthly Kingdom