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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
Unholy Forces Of Evil
Immortal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Forever passing where the darkness lies unknown
Where soul winds burns my eyes
Where shadows of lost life hides
Enter the centers of darkness
Where all evil dwells
Demons present in flames
Oath of black souls found
We cut the living flesh
Circles of the deepest black throned
A promise of the darkest blood found
Unholy forces of evil
Unholy forces of hell
An mayhemic silence floats
We await our signs of death our circles gathered
Ceremonial powers belongs to us
A goat baptized in fire
We dance the circle dance the thorns
Awaiting the sign of the horns
A thousand black clouds storms
Blasphemous Northern rites
Mysticism touched
Pentagrams burning
Into the centers of the darkness
Where all evil dwells
Demons present in flames
Oath of black souls found
The unholy forces of evil
Server upon our diabolical souls
Cults of death bathed in slaughter
As the devils candles burns
Into the dark skies
Floating with the soul winds of the pentagram
To the death lights where the North star awaits.
The lyrics to Immortal's "Unholy Forces of Evil" depict a dark and sinister journey into the depths of evil, where the singer slowly crosses a river of blood and passes through the unknown darkness where the winds burn their eyes and the shadows of lost life hide. They enter the centers of darkness where all evil dwells, and encounter demons present in flames, forming an oath of black souls found through sacrifices as old as the earth.
The singer and their accomplices engage in black magic rituals, dancing around a burning goat and performing ceremonial powers. They await the sign of the horns, a symbol of their allegiance to darkness and evil. The lyrics suggest that they are part of a cult of death, bathed in slaughter and fueled by a diabolical drive. The song ends with them floating into the dark skies on the soul winds of the pentagram, heading towards the North star where death awaits.
Overall, "Unholy Forces of Evil" is a chilling and ominous depiction of a journey into the abyss of evil, portrayed through vivid and graphic imagery.
Line by Line Meaning
Slowly crossing as red rivers runs below
Advancing gradually, crossing a river that is flowing with red water beneath its surface
Forever passing where the darkness lies unknown
Continuously moving ahead, without any knowledge of where the darkness exists
Where soul winds burns my eyes
In a place where the winds affect the soul, burning one's eyes
Where shadows of lost life hides
In a location where the shadows of lost lives conceal themselves
Enter the centers of darkness
Proceeding towards the places which are the centers of darkness
Where all evil dwells
Wherever evil resides
Demons present in flames
Instances of demons being present amidst flames
Oath of black souls found
Discovery of black souls taking oaths
Sacrifices as old as the earth
Performing sacrifices that are as ancient as the earth itself
We cut the living flesh
Cutting through the flesh that is alive
Circles of the deepest black throned
Groups of individuals with the darkest of personalities reigning supreme
A promise of the darkest blood found
Finding the promise of the darkest of blood
Unholy forces of evil
Immoral powers that are evil in nature
Unholy forces of hell
Immoral powers that are akin to hellish forces
An mayhemic silence floats
A deafening silence that is present in the atmosphere
We await our signs of death our circles gathered
Waiting for a signal of death, while our circle of people are assembled
Ceremonial powers belongs to us
Having access to ceremonial powers
A goat baptized in fire
Performing a fire baptism ritual on a goat
We dance the circle dance the thorns
Dancing counterclockwise or widdershins, forming a circle while stepping on thorns
Awaiting the sign of the horns
Waiting for a gesture where fingers are bent and extended, resembling horns
A thousand black clouds storms
A massive downpour of many, many black clouds
Blasphemous Northern rites
Rituals practiced in the northern hemisphere which are considered sacrilegious
Mysticism touched
The experience of having come into contact with mysticism
Pentagrams burning
Drawing five-pointed stars and then lighting them on fire
Into the centers of the darkness
Heading straight into the deepest centers of darkness
Demons present in flames
Burning flames present and alive with the presence of demons
Oath of black souls found
Discovering oaths taken by black souls
The unholy forces of evil
The impure and malevolent powers that are evil in nature
Server upon our diabolical souls
Experiencing upon ourselves the wicked and evil natures of our souls
Cults of death bathed in slaughter
Groups of individuals with the primary goal of human slaughter
As the devils candles burns
Admiring the candles of the devil as they burn
Into the dark skies
Flying up into the pitch-black skies
Floating with the soul winds of the pentagram
Drifting with the winds that are controlled by souls, influenced by the shape of the pentagram
To the death lights where the North star awaits.
Moving towards the lights of death, where the North Star is present and waiting.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind