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1) Immortal is a black metal band from Bergen, Norway, founded in 1991 by frontman and guitarist Abbath Doom Occulta (Olve Eikemo) and guitarist Demonaz Doom Occulta (Harald Nævdal). The pair worked with various drummers (including Grim, Armagedda and Hellhammer), and were later joined by current drummer Horgh (Reidar Horghagen) in 1996.
In March 2015, long-serving member Abbath announced his departure from the group following a dispute with the other members of the band, and he went on to form a new band under his name called Abbath. It was initially reported that following Abbath's departure, the band would split up. However, In August 2015, Demonaz and Horgh said that the band would continue without Abbath. Demonaz would return to playing guitar with the band for the first time since 1997, and would also do vocals as well.
Immortal arose from two short-lived bands, Old Funeral and Amputation, which were formed by Abbath and others in 1988. Immortal's original lineup consisted of ex-members from both of these bands. Old Funeral was founded by Abbath and Tore (Tore Bratseth), then went through a string of guitarists (including Demonaz, Varg Vikernes and Jørn Inge Tunsberg) until disbanding in 1992. Abbath, Demonaz, and Jørn formed Amputation, which released two demos with Demonaz on guitar and vocals, Jørn on guitars, and Padden on drums, before disbanding in 1990.
Members of Old Funeral and Amputation formed Immortal in 1991, with Abbath on bass and lead vocals, Demonaz on guitar, and Armagedda on drums. The music on their early demo recordings was death metal, with lyrics influenced by Morbid Angel and Possessed. The band then became influenced by Euronymous and bands like Bathory and Celtic Frost. They released their self-titled EP in 1991, which saw a stylistic change to black metal. This was followed by their debut album Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism in 1992. Immortal's early full-length releases were in traditional black metal style, but their most acclaimed album, At the Heart of Winter, marks the period when the band began to experiment with a complex fusion of black metal and German thrash metal, resulting in the sound of Immortal's later works.
In 1995, the band released two video clips directed by British artist David Palser, entitled Masters of Nebulah Frost, through Osmose Productions. They featured many bizarrely-shot images of frozen landscapes and vast forests with the band performing two songs from the album Battles in the North, "Grim and Frostbitten Kingdoms" and "Blashyrkh (Mighty Ravendark)", on a Norwegian mountainside. The video for "Grim and Frostbitten Kingdoms" features Mayhem drummer, Hellhammer (Jan Axel Blomberg). These clips have become the template for many other bands producing such works, similarly to how "The Call of the Wintermoon" is also highly influential.
The members of Immortal were involved in a legal battle with each other over the rights to the Immortal trademark. They were also due to submit a new album to the Nuclear Blast label, though little information regarding the album and its release had been disclosed. It is confirmed, however, by Abbath that the album had been completed with the aid of various musicians.
In March 2015, Abbath left Immortal as a result of this conflict and an inability to move forward. Abbath is to continue as a musician with a solo band under his name.
On 8 January 2018, the band posted Via Facebook an update on Immortal's upcoming 9th Full-length, stating "We have put a massive amount of energy into this, and wanted to deliver our absolutely best. It has been a pleasure to finish the studio process and most of all being stoked about the final result. Peter Tägtgren has done an outstanding job in producing and mixing it. We now look forward to have it released, and are excited to share our 9th full length with you all." the release date of the album is scheduled for sometime in 2018, releasing under Nuclear Blast Records. The album will feature original member Demonaz on vocals and for the first time in 20 years, he will also play guitar. Demonaz has been the main contributor for the bands lyricism since an injury he had suffered, prevented him from continuing to play guitar for the band since 1998. The last album which had featured Demonaz on Guitar was 1997 album Blizzard Beasts. This will be the first Immortal album to not feature Abbath in the lineup.
On 18 April 2018, the tracklisting and title of the new album was revealed to be Northern Chaos Gods and was given a release date of 6 July 2018.
Immortal's lyrics are based on an overall theme, a realm called "Blashyrkh", which is said to be "demon-and-battle-filled". The idea for Blashyrkh came about from Demonaz and Abbath's feelings of isolation living in Bergen. They created Blashyrkh to mirror those feelings, basing it on Norway, including "winter landscapes", "the woods, the mountains, the darkness, the fog", and "glacial valleys". When writing lyrics, the band Immortal's lyricist Demonaz often takes long walks in the Norwegian countryside near his hometown of Bergen for inspiration. Unlike many early black metal bands, Immortal does not have satanic-themed lyrics. However, on the band's first album, there were a few satanic references but without any lyrics attacking religion.
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2) A Dutch goth rock band from the late '80s, see e.g. their verified Spotify profile with several releases:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2NLYWhkv6D3xLqxPc4bfoD
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3) There is also a rapper with the same name.
4) Immortal was a thrash metal band that would disband and go on to form Circle of Dust
One By One
Immortal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Led astray by the northern chaos gods
Calm before the storm we came from the north
Horses roamed in the open landscaped
the scald sang to their kings
Only he who battle wins
The scald sang to their kings
Tremble with fear for the banner of our kings
War now calls heed to the battle
Hear our swords clinging in the wind
Men cast from their saddles horses roar and scream
Descendants of wrath and the kingdoms of fear
The might we possess burn like fire
The will remain in our northern hearts
More scalps to be won, an eye for an eye
Aeons ago the legends tell we rode onward
Led astray by the northern chaos gods
One by one by the northern tribe you fall
One by one, die by the strongest of them all
Still there's only greatness sunged in those who fell
Who battled strong to win these wars
One by one we took your lives
Grey mist swirl across the meadows
Where battles once ruled the steps
Where the ancient armors of bronze
Are buried and corroded by time
Strong where those who won the war
And the legends tell only of wrath
As brothers of the northern tribes
They guarded the horders of chaos
We leave this Battlefields ground
Red where the rivers of blood
Unforgotten by the ones
Born of strength and glory
Tremble with fear for the banner of our kings
War now calls heed to the battle
Hear our swords clinging in the wind
Men cast from their saddles horses roar and scream
The song "One By One" by Immortal is a recounting of a historical battle fought long ago by warriors of the northern tribes. The song is rich in imagery, describing the calm before the storm that preceded the battle - a time when horses roamed free across the open landscape and the 'scald' (bard) sang songs to their kings, extolling the virtues of battle and the bravery needed to win.
As the battle began, the warriors' swords clashed together in the wind, as men were thrown from their saddles and horses roared and screamed. The descendants of wrath and kingdoms of fear battled fiercely against each other, burning with a might that resembled fire. The song recounts how the victorious warriors left the battlefield covered in the blood of their enemies, with a sense of pride and honor for the deeds they had accomplished.
Throughout the song, the lyrics repeatedly reference the northern chaos gods, suggesting their influence over the warriors of the northern tribes. The final verse describes how the battlefields that were once ruled by battles have now decayed and corroded over time, but the strength and glory of the warriors who fought there will never be forgotten.
Overall, "One By One" is a powerful tribute to the bravery and honor of the ancient warriors of the northern tribes, who fought and died in the name of their kings and the gods they worshipped.
Line by Line Meaning
Aeons ago the legends tell we rode onward
Long ago, tales were told of us, as we journeyed forth
Led astray by the northern chaos gods
We were misguided by the gods of chaos from the north
Calm before the storm we came from the north
We arrived from the north in peace and quiet, before the storm of war
Horses roamed in the open landscaped the scald sang to their kings
Horses roamed in the open land and the poet sang to their kings
Only he who battle wins
The scald sang to their kings
Let the battle he fought to the won
Only the victorious can win the battle, the poet sang to the kings, let the victorious be the leader
Tremble with fear for the banner of our kings
Fear the banner of our kings, it represents their power
War now calls heed to the battle
It's time to answer the call of war and fight
Hear our swords clinging in the wind
Hear the sound of our swords as we swing them in the wind
Men cast from their saddles horses roar and scream
Men fall off their horses as they die, as their horses are frightened and scream
Descendants of wrath and the kingdoms of fear
We are descendants of anger and fearful kingdoms
The might we possess burn like fire
Our power and strength is like a burning flame
The will remain in our northern hearts
Our determination will always remain in our hearts from the north
More scalps to be won, an eye for an eye
We must win more victories, seeking revenge for our losses
One by one by the northern tribe you fall
You are defeated one by one by the northern tribe
One by one, die by the strongest of them all
You will die one by one, killed by our strongest warriors
Still there's only greatness sunged in those who fell
Those who fell in battle are remembered as great warriors
Who battled strong to win these wars
They fought fiercely to win these battles
One by one we took your lives
We killed you one by one
Grey mist swirl across the meadows
The mist swirls across the meadows and fields
Where battles once ruled the steps
Where battles once took place on the steps or plains
Where the ancient armors of bronze
Where the ancient bronze armor is now buried and rusted
Are buried and corroded by time
They are now buried and corroded by the passage of time
Strong where those who won the war
Those who won the war were strong
And the legends tell only of wrath
The legends only speak of anger and wrath
As brothers of the northern tribes
As brothers of the northern tribes who fought together
They guarded the horders of chaos
They protected the borders from chaos
We leave this Battlefields ground
We are leaving this battlefield
Red where the rivers of blood
The rivers are red with the blood of those who died
Unforgotten by the ones
Those who died in battle are never forgotten
Born of strength and glory
They were born from strength and glory
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Olve Eikemo, Reidar Horghagen, Harald Naevdal
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind