Search - Immortal :: Pure Holocaust

3.5 stars.

P. Walczak | 06/21/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"While this isn't the best black metal album around, "Pure Holocaust" definitely gives us a taste for the old sounding Immortal and overall is a pretty good amateur album. It has some good quality instrumental playing and some raw and intense tracks that are fortunately not over-exaggerated. Like any album, though, "Pure Holocaust" has its downfalls- such as having little dissimilarity between a few songs and a few minor flaws in vocalization. This album's faults are definitely not too drastic, however, and generally its high-points overtake its low-points.



Track reviews:



Unsilent Storms In the North Abyss- I think this is one of the best openings for a black metal album I've heard in a long time. It kicks the album off with some extreme, stratospheric drumming and some awesomely fitting guitar riffs that are not too obnoxiously heavy, but have just the right amount of intensity that black metal tracks call for. Also, I give Immortal props on ending the song at a little over three minutes. This way, it doesn't become too lengthy and gives the listener just the right amount of dosage of brutality needed to grab and hold their attention until the track's closing. Awesome song.



Sign for the Norse Hordes to Ride- Starts off a little like Unsilent Storms In the Abyss and sounds a bit similar all the way through. Still, though, this song proposes some great guitar riffs and more ultra-fast and amazingly accomplished drumming.



Sun No Longer Rises- Again, starts off a bit like the two previous songs, but fortunately takes a turn in becoming a bit lighter. Certain parts of this song seem to get drawn out a bit too much, but overall I'd say this track is more on the mediocre side.



Frozen by Icewinds- I was disappointed to hear that this song had a guitar riff that was so similar to "Sun No Longer Rises" that they're practically interchangeable. It's not until about two minutes and forty seconds into the song that the guitars change their direction in sound a bit more...but unfortunately, there isn't too much of a difference. On the bright side, though, Immortal does offer a nicely executed guitar solo toward the end of the song that adds a nice atmospheric variation ...I'm just sorry they didn't use this strategy earlier and continue it until the song's end.



Storming Through Red Clouds and Holocaustwinds- Features a very strong beginning with some differing guitar riffs and eventually moves into one constant guitar arrangement over some usual vocals. However, the drums in this song are definitely not up to par with the drum work in some of the previous songs, given that they sound like nothing but hollow thuds during some points during the song's playing. Also, the song seems to drag on a bit too long than it should.



Eternal Years on the Path to the Cemetery Gates- Opens with some nice, powerful instrumentals that consist of the raging guitars and high-speed drumming which, at this point, Immortal is showing that they're worthy to be known for. Overall, this song is pretty good. It definitely gets the adrenaline racing with a hyper-speed quality about it. This is definitely one of the better songs on this CD.



As the Eternity Opens- Begins with a recognizably different guitar arrangement, but still doesn't completely cut itself off from sounding appropriately dissimilar to the other tracks. The riff corresponds pretty well to the vocals, though, and is actually pretty interesting, considering it has a bit more spice to it than the album's other riffs. Also, during one point during the song, Immortal seems to have inserted an appealing, distant choir effect that gives the song a more haunting way about it.



Pure Holocaust- I wouldn't say this is the best closer for this album. Again, Immortal seems to have made this song sound just a bit too much like their others, which really takes away from its greatness.



Overall, this is a pretty good amateur CD. Immortal seemed to attempt somewhat to make it so that the listener could differentiate between certain tracks, yet faulted where they did not attempt this. Stripped of this fact, though, the instrumentals were definitely above average- especially the drumming. I'd suggest this album to Immortal fans and to those who are looking for a good, raw black metal album to listen to...if that is they can put aside the few faults and similarity between a few tracks.

"

Absolutely Astonishing

M. Doyle | Beverly Hills, CA | 08/17/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I haven't been blown away by an album in a VERY long time. I don't know how this thing slipped by me. I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes, huge contradictions of emotion blasting along with the music wondering if this is this the most evil album I've ever heard or the most beautiful. THIS IS BLACK METAL!!!!"