Liste der Bands Black Metal Immortal (NOR) Pure Holocaust

1993 saw Immortal release Pure Holocaust, one of black metal’s most potent and iconic albums. From the grim black and white cover featuring the band in full ‘evil’ gear to the frostbitten song titles and the icy blast of the actual material, ‘Pure Holocaust’ is a work of pure, unadulterated black metal majesty. Does it still hold up after almost 18 years?

The simple answer is yes. Immortal haven’t released a bad album period; each one has been dedicated to perfecting black metal, from the rasping croak of Abbath to the tremolo-heavy waves of frozen guitar. Immortal are a band that it is easy to laugh at. Their album pictures are generally laughable, the band corpsepainted to the max and pulling all sorts of horrible faces. But in 1993, this shit was actually scary! The album is swathed in the buzzing chords made popular by their contemporaries in Mayhem and Burzum, but is rendered instantly recognisable by Abbath’s raw, unholy rasping vocals. He doesn’t scream like a tortured banshee, nor growl like some demon; he just vocalises like some possessed frog.

Pure Holocaust is nothing short of a raging wind of black metal. It is relentless in its assault, atonal power chords crashing repeatedly against some pretty solid, if occasionally sloppy blastbeating. Demonaz’s tremolo melodies are surprisingly accessible for a genre known for its ‘kvltness’, and each song is memorable in its own right. I sometimes have a problem telling tracks apart on some releases from this period in black metal’s history, but not with Immortal. They are catchy, and helped by a top notch production. It’s a surprise to find an early 90s black metal album that is so clear and concise, and doesn’t sound like a wasp stuck in a jam jar. A lack of bass reduces the bite of the album, but strangely increases the effectiveness of the frostbitten tales of frozen kingdoms. Snow and ice rarely has a deep sound, and the material is a personification of winter eternal; bleak, cold and lonely.

‘Pure Immortal’ takes the expression of a feeling through music to a new level. In this case, the frozen bleakness of winter comes straight through every icy riff and incantation to chill the bones. Perfect for that wintry walk in the woods, or the endless blizzards that choke the North, Immortal’s legacy will live on through this album alone. Essential black metal.

Pure Holocaust is Immortal's second album release which is a classic for the whole scene. This album was released in 1993 by the most the famous French black metal label Osmose Productions. On this Album you hear Bergen's most wanted line-up with Erik "Grim" Brødreskift (who's killed himself with Heroin) on the aggressive and fast drums, Harald Naevdal (aka Demonaz Doom Occulta) with his fast and loud guitar riffs and at last but not least Olve Eikemo (aka Abbath Doom Occulta) and his disgusting demon voice and the heavy pounding bass.

These three young evil guys are from a Norwegian city called Bergen. Along with other famous black metal bands like; Gorgoroth and Burzum, Immortal started their career as a death metal band (which was called Amputation) and after two death metal demos they decided to make Black Metal because it's more aggressive and more devilish than death metal. After the debut Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism from 1992 came one of the most important Black Metal recording's of the early 90's Pure (fucking) Holocaust.

Pure Holocaust has eight track's and I can't say that I have a special favourite song on that second Immortal strike because I love each of them but I try to search one of the best Songs of Pure Holocaust. So let’s start with the first one. The Sun No longer Rises start's very fast and aggressive and slow down, after that begins with a hard and heavy drum rhythm. The main riff is a kind of magical because you hear it over and over again you can hear the same riff in the Tribute Song Erik, May you Rape the Angels from Nargaroth.
I have to say that The Sun No Longer Rises also sounds fantastic live.

The next one is the last track on the album and it's called Pure Holocaust. This 5 minute 17 second long song and it is very, very majestic. I bought this album in 2010 and I'm sure this was my first Black Metal Album and every time I let play this Song I remember on the old times when I and my friend's went in the woods to go grill and drink some beer and just sit around the campfire and talk about music and other things and I did each time play this Song. When I got this Album always try to translate the Song Pure Holocaust but I couldn't because we had at this time, no computer and so I love it when Abbath sings The Lightning strike over the Northland. The aggressive fade-in on Pure Holocaust is so awesome and I think this Song fits perfectly as last one and it ends like fast death.