I

So, what we hear is solid and quite rich black 'n' roll from Abbath, a personality that needs no introduction, and quite melodic at that. Add to this the fact that all the lyrics on the album were written by Demonaz. Given such a proposition, can we claim this is a continuation of IMMORTAL's work?! By no means — Abbath did not make technical prowess his exclusive priority, which is precisely what distinguished the latest releases by the "Immortals," while at the same time clearly favoring melody and atmosphere. Already in the first two tracks, we hear the distinctive features of the I project — the sound is on one hand very heavy and at times dirty, yet on the other, dense and absolutely clean when it comes to solos. The vocals have also undergone some changes — periodically we hear clean, raspy vocals layered over growling; in any case, little remains of the former fury. However, on the fourth track, "Battalions," we finally hear the signature croaking in its original famous form. As you listen through the album, the strange term "black 'n' roll" fades from your consciousness: in terms of structure, energy, and a whole range of other criteria, this is genuine heavy metal — to be more specific, with a distinctly British orientation, reflecting Abbath's passion for NWOBHM. On the other hand, the influence of Mr. Quorthon's work from the late '80s and early '90s is also directly felt. What is especially pleasant to note is that the melody and atmosphere are achieved entirely through guitars without the use of keyboards, which, nowadays, is quite original. The project may disappoint those who were expecting a continuation of furious black metal. But anyone who can look past such formalities will hear magnificent, professional music combining elements of old-school black metal, heavy metal, and the inimitable energy that characterizes all of Abbath's work.