DEMONAZ

Have you always wondered what an IMMORTAL album might sound like if the jagged edges were smoothed out, one tempo was ridden for the duration, and arrangement variation was strictly limited? Then DEMONAZ's "March of the Norse" is the album with the answer to your burning question. That's an exaggeration of course and nothing in the way of an indictment of "March of the Norse". It is not wholly inaccurate though, as "March of the Norse" has a hell of a lot more to do with groove and melody than anything IMMORTAL has ever released.

Oh right, the repeated referencing of IMMORTAL in the preceding paragraph. What's that all about? I'll tell you. Former guitarist and now Director of Lyrical Content for the IMMORTAL Corporation Harald Nævdal (a.k.a. "Demonaz Doom Occulta") decided a few years back that he'd try his hand at a solo album. He got everyone all fired up in 2007 after releasing a couple of demo tracks on MySpace ("Over the Mountains" and "Dying Sun"),and finally got around to completing the solo debut called "March of the Norse" with a supporting cast of guitarist/bassist Ice Dale (OV HELL, ENSLAVED),and drummer Armagedda (ex-IMMORTAL, I).

Musically then, once can hear the IMMORTAL influence (as expected) in the vocals/patterns of Demonaz, though the creaks and croaks are far less pronounced, as well as some of the picking patterns. But that's where it ends, as the other obvious influence on "March of the Norse" is BATHORY's early expansive period, as one will hear in the choral parts and blackened filtering of folk. In most cases, admitting that once you've heard one song you've pretty much heard the entire album would be pointing out a serious flaw. That's really not the case on "March of the Norse" since the mid-tempo pacing is well suited to the cold, northern, and Viking vibes, as is the choral support/harmony vocals, frequent use of light picking, and continually flowing melodic guitar work. In that regard "Where Gods Once Rode" exemplifies that combination of elements. If feel over dynamics was the intent, then "March of the Norse" is a success.

Considering that each time a new track begins it in one way or another picks up where the preceding one left off, yet you're way OK with it speaks well of the approach. And damn, those melodic leads just sound right. So outside of the hypnotic effects is an uplifting aura; a bit of a surprise considering the players involved. Listen to "March of the Norse" on a hot summer day and you'll swear you felt a drop in temperature and a shift in the wind direction. What direction? The North of course!