Abbath's new band I
received a good deal of prerelease hype. I is something of an all-star band
featuring Arve Isdal of Enslaved (known as Ice Dale here), TC King of Gorgoroth
and original Immortal drummer Armagedda. “Between Two Worlds”
was touted as being heavily influenced by Motorhead and was supposed to
be quite a departure from Immortal. Judging by opening track “The
Storm I Ride,” one would think that this was true. Upon listening
to the whole album it quickly becomes evident that “The Storm I Ride”
is an atypical track and that the “Between Two Worlds” really
does have a lot in common with Immortal. The music is mainly slow to mid
paced, never coming close to the speed of most Immortal songs. Despite the
slower speed, it is quite obvious that Abbath is responsible for writing
this album. The riffs and song structures simply have his stamp all over
them. The songs are all rather simple but very well written, most consist
of heavy driving riffs woven together by more melodic moments. Although
most of the songs top the five minute mark the album does not drag, instead
each song lasts just long enough to hammer it's point home and firmly embed
it's self in the listener's memory. The guitar solos are extremely well
place and do an excellent job of accenting the songs without dominating
them. Abbath's vocals on “Between Two Worlds” are horse and
raspy but still clear enough to be understood. The lyrics conjure up images
of the windswept frozen wastes, barren mountain ranges and Dark Age warriors
marching into battle, not surprising since Immoral lyricist Demonaz wrote
them. This album is hard to classify, I would say that it sounds mostly
like a mixture of Immortal and Viking-era Bathory. The Motorhead influence
is certainly present, but in my opinion this has been grossly overstated
and is not nearly as noticeable as you may have been led to believe. “Between
Two Worlds” does not have a bad track but it does have some highlights,
which include “Warriors, Mountains,” “Far Beyond the Quiet”
and “Cursed We Are.” The digipack version included two extra
studio tracks that are both quite good. I would recommend looking for this
version if you intend to purchase “Between Two Worlds.”
Rating: 87
Reviewed By: Garett F. |
