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Immortal - All Shall Fall review



Reviewer:
9.0

718 users:
8.18
Band: Immortal
Album: All Shall Fall
Release date: September 2009


01. All Shall Fall
02. The Rise Of Darkness
03. Hordes To War
04. Norden On Fire
05. Arctic Swarm
06. Mount North
07. Unearthly Kingdom

Immortal have risen from the white ashes to reclaim their throne as kings of black metal. Not many bands have been as important to a genre of music than Immortal have been to black metal over the years. Now the band are back with their first album in seven years, All Shall Fall.

The album carries on exactly where Sons Of Northern Darkness finished. Stylistically All Shall Fall is extremely similar, the guitars are very melodic and as a whole the album stays at the same familiar pressing pace without going overboard. The frostbitten trio show no signs of cobwebs, but there is also no apparent attempt to create something truly spectacular. All Shall Fall, although a brilliant come-back album, is a bit too steady and safe to be hailed as one of the band's greatest works.

Seven years is an extremely long time and it is perhaps unrealistic to have expected anything to the standard of At The Heart Of Winter or any of the band's other classics. All Shall Fall almost seems like the band are just firing up the engine, and it is the future we have to wait for to experience Immortal at their most devastating. With this said, All Shall Fall is still a remarkably enjoyable album to listen to and is very much an album suited for the times.

The opening title track sounds like the soundtrack to a bleak and icy armageddon and "The Rise Of Darkness" follows bringing forth the rhythmic march of the northern tyrants. Melodic plodder "Norden On Fire" brings down the pace, but "Arctic Swarm" soon whips up another blizzard being the most forceful and unrelenting storm on the album.

Immortal have all eyes on them, and to avoid the risk of disappointment have released an extremely solid and safe album that may just underwhelm a few people. For the rest of us though, All Shall Fall is genuinely a glacier of frostbitten delights. Without a bad song on the album and a tidy running time, the album showcases the finest cuts of Immortal in this day and age, and it honestly hasn't felt so empowering to bang the head along to some serious top quality black metal in a long time.

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Black metal
Nuclear Blast
Norway
Length: 40:12


Rating breakdown
Performance: 8
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 8
Production: 9





Written on 27.09.2009 by Member of Staff since 2006


Comments

Comments: 105   [ 1 ignored ]   Visited by: 776 users
27.09.2009 - 00:50
Dane Train
Beers & Kilts
One question: does taking 7 years off and then putting out an album actually count as a comeback?
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(space for rent)
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27.09.2009 - 01:15
Rating: 9
Doc G.
Full Grown Hoser
Quote:
but there is also no apparent attempt to create something truly spectacular.


I'm slightly confused...does this not sort of conflict with your scoring in a way?
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"I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck."
- George Carlin
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27.09.2009 - 01:18
Baz Anderson

Written by Doc G. on 27.09.2009 at 01:15

Quote:
but there is also no apparent attempt to create something truly spectacular.


I'm slightly confused...does this not sort of conflict with your scoring in a way?

Why is there always so much emphasis on ratings?
Regardless or not if they pushed the boat out with this album, it is still a top top quality album.
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27.09.2009 - 01:44
Rating: 9
terrorist

Good album but there are no special parts of the alum that i find very interesting.It's pretty much the same,the whole album.And it's influenced by Project I,Abbath surely brought something from that in this album but beside these things i like this album and surely good comeback after 7 years.
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Will the ones who live after our end
Worship the goddamn cross again?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnlG0h7YN_8&feature=related
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27.09.2009 - 02:03
Rating: 9
Doc G.
Full Grown Hoser
Written by Baz Anderson on 27.09.2009 at 01:18

Written by Doc G. on 27.09.2009 at 01:15

Quote:
but there is also no apparent attempt to create something truly spectacular.


I'm slightly confused...does this not sort of conflict with your scoring in a way?

Why is there always so much emphasis on ratings?
Regardless or not if they pushed the boat out with this album, it is still a top top quality album.

Not a big issue, well written either way. I guess me and you just gauge things differently.
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"I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck."
- George Carlin
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27.09.2009 - 02:33
Hate_All
.|.. O_o ..|.
I never listen to black metal and surely not Immortal -_-
but then i had to chek this album out, and i must say i was impressed
so i think they are "ok" to listen to now
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27.09.2009 - 02:36
thesabbathfan

This album is amazing. and i suppose im an abbath fanboy. nuff said.
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27.09.2009 - 04:19
Rating: 9
silenius

Its finaly here!, had huge expectations concerning this album, and im very pleased with it to be perfectly honest, great album!
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27.09.2009 - 04:45
Rating: 8
elven

This album is nothing special for me... average...
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27.09.2009 - 05:04
csiga
Munin
Written by elven on 27.09.2009 at 04:45

This album is nothing special for me... average...


at least the album cover is good, haha
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i survived the lake bodom!
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27.09.2009 - 09:27
Slayer666

Immortal will be Immortal... always somewhat overrated. The album sure as hell doesn't deserve a 9. The written part is preety good, though...
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27.09.2009 - 10:13
Rating: 10
-N-

I think this album is very special for black metal fans, because Immortal liven again.
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27.09.2009 - 11:13
Rating: 6
Aghahowa

Average for me too, this is not black metal. Between Two Worlds (I) was better than that, more catchy, with good riffs. Nevertheless, Immortal is a live band, I can't wait to see them another time.
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27.09.2009 - 11:23
Smurfophagist

I still can't find it anywhere . DAMN THIS WORLD!
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Having a signature is an absolute must.
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27.09.2009 - 12:42
Rating: 8
HellTrooper

Immortal....a name, a legend. Really, a great release.
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R.I.P.

Cliff Burton
Chuck Schuldiner
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27.09.2009 - 12:56
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
Hm...this review sounds like a good reason why to get into this album
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My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


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27.09.2009 - 13:18
Rating: 10
In Bone Factory

I agree that this album is somthing between Immortal's 2002 album and I's 2006 album but anyway its great and I enjoy it.
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The End Is Nigh ...
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27.09.2009 - 13:35
Filosofem Child
Account deleted
Great band
nice album
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27.09.2009 - 13:59
Rating: 9
pazuzuovbabel
Pazuzu
The rating.. and the review as all are great ..

i dont think that abbath had put some "I" elements, but instead he made a collection of Blizzard beasts and go on albums .. which made a great come-back album ..

IMO.. all immortal albums are solid releases .. and that album just came to complete the legacy
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27.09.2009 - 16:19
Valaskjalf
Account deleted
SERIOUSLY....this is lame, theyve always been lame. How can this album get a 9/10 when its the same freekin formula as the last 10 years. Seriously uninspiring with the most boring and predictable riffs ever. I dont want to seem like an asshole or anything, but come on! Nothing we havent heard before so why on earth do people love this band so much APART from nostalgia?
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27.09.2009 - 16:23
Baz Anderson

Well if you've never liked them ("always been lame"), what made you think you'd like this one?
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27.09.2009 - 16:29
Valaskjalf
Account deleted
Well I liked "Wrath from Above", but the problem is its ALWAYS the same thing. I dont understand, perhaps Im just very different from the average metalhead, but seriously I like to be challenged when I listen to music. Regurgitating the same stuff over and over year after year...how is that good? Perhaps you can explain this to me Baz...

Like I said, Im not trying to unreasonable or somekinda asshole who likes disagreeing for the sake of being difficult, but I really dont agree with this whole philosophy of bringing out average albums that offer you nothing new whatsoever and that getting the highest acclaim. Not to mention the fact that the music itself isnt very skilled or engaging either. My brain just isnt wired that way...
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27.09.2009 - 17:55
Kinzoku

No surprises, good album but it got pretty boring after a few spins.. just my opinion.
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27.09.2009 - 19:13
Rating: 7
lord artan

Very good album a lovet
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27.09.2009 - 20:57
Hellkommando

Written by Guest on 27.09.2009 at 16:29

Well I liked "Wrath from Above", but the problem is its ALWAYS the same thing. I dont understand, perhaps Im just very different from the average metalhead, but seriously I like to be challenged when I listen to music. Regurgitating the same stuff over and over year after year...how is that good? Perhaps you can explain this to me Baz...

Like I said, Im not trying to unreasonable or somekinda asshole who likes disagreeing for the sake of being difficult, but I really dont agree with this whole philosophy of bringing out average albums that offer you nothing new whatsoever and that getting the highest acclaim. Not to mention the fact that the music itself isnt very skilled or engaging either. My brain just isnt wired that way...


In your opinon it is average, obviously in Baz's opinion is above average - not a hard point to digest. For example, you think they are lame, that doesn't mean that they are lame. I like Immortal's stuff no doubt, but I don't listen to them to be "challenged". It is a simple difference in opinion and tastes, but to say they are lame is a little rich just because you don't like them.
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Formerly Desolate Gale
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27.09.2009 - 21:04
Valaskjalf
Account deleted
Based on what though? what about it is amazing? i would really like to know because there are quite a few bands who bring out the same stuff over and over, sporting very little in the skill or songwriting department yet people keep going on about it. So please, explain to me i would love to understand. (Trying not to make this seem like a snide remark).

I realise it is based on taste, but still I dont get it, when the music is so one-paces and similar sounding to everything else the band does. So please elaborate...
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27.09.2009 - 21:12
Hellkommando

It is a solid album, its not Wagner's Tristan and Isolde or a groundbreaking piece of black metal but this is their first album in 7 years and I think they did a pretty good job. Yes, partly due to nostalgia reasons but there was a lot of hype and pressure on them to deliver and they could of delivered far worse. Yeah nothing to spectacular about the riffs or the like but the album sounds good. As I said its the first album in 7 years give them some credit here, if you want to be "challenged" pick up some philosophy or look elsewhere because you won't find it in Immortal.
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Formerly Desolate Gale
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27.09.2009 - 21:37
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
You don't even need to explain anything to him Desolate Gale...

If you don't like the album you don't like the album and that's it.
You don't have to make it to a friggin argument wondering why the others like it, it's just pointless. :
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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27.09.2009 - 21:57
Carnal

Immortal lame? lool Dont you think immortal created what all remarcable bands created? A sound of their own. Abbath's riffs are just his own.

Its as simple as that. He makes memorable songs and continues to develop through out the albums. I dont find this album the same as the others. Theres maybe one band that has similarities and its I.
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27.09.2009 - 22:08
Rating: 8
Daggon
Underpaid M.D.
Well, they ARE Immortal, I like almost everything they do, they have their own style, so when I want to listen to Immortal, I just listen to Immortal... that's because IMO I can't find a single band that plays as good as them, again, their sound is unique.
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"Les vers savent qu'ils n'ont pas d'ailes, c'est pour cela qu'ils se cachent sous terre"
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