Battles in the North

Infobox Album | Name = Battles in the North
Type = studio
Artist = Immortal


Released = 1995
Recorded = Norway, September 1994
Genre = Black metal
Length = 35:18
Label = Osmose Productions
Producer = Eirik Hundvin and Immortal
Reviews = *Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:2wfqoayalijd~T1 link]
Last album = "Pure Holocaust"
(1993)
This album = "Battles in the North"
(1995)
Next album = "Blizzard Beasts"
(1997)

"Battles in the North" is the third album by Norwegian black metal band Immortal. It picks up where its predecessor "Pure Holocaust" left off, with extreme speed and ice cold production and lyrics. Like Pure Holocaust, it is also considered to be a classic album in black metal. However, Abbath's drumming on the release is often criticised, for his inability to maintain the extreme tempos this album requires.fix|link=Wikipedia:Contents|text=citation needed This is also the first album where the concept of Blashyrk becomes a central focus for the album. The concept continues through all of their subsequent albums.

Track listing

All music by Abbath/Demonaz, lyrics by Demonaz

#"Battles in the North" – 4:11
#"Grim and Frostbitten Kingdoms" – 2:47
#"Descent into Eminent Silence" – 3:10
#"Throned by Blackstorms" – 3:39
#"Moonrise Fields of Sorrow" – 2:24
#"Cursed Realms of the Winterdemons" – 3:59
#"At the Stormy Gates of Mist" – 3:00
#"Through the Halls of Eternity" – 3:35
#"Circling above in Time before Time" – 3:55
#"Blashyrkh (Mighty Ravendark)" – 4:34

There are three different issues of this CD - original jewel case, digipak, and a limited edition jewel case with slip cover and fold-out poster - this version is restricted to 3000 copies, the cover is an original oil painting done by Jeroen van Valkenburg on canvas and it also includes the 1991 7" EP as bonus tracks:

#

"Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism" – 0:42
#"Unholy Forces of Evil" – 4:28
#"The Cold Winds of Funeral Frost" – 3:40

Misprint

On some editions of this album, the track listing is printed wrong, both on the back of the sleeve as well as in the booklet. Whilst the order the track play in on the CD is as listed above the printed order is listed as:

#Battles in the North
#At the Stormy Gates of Mist
#Through the Halls of Eternity
#Moonrise Fields of Sorrow
#Cursed Realms of the Winterdemons
#Throned by Blackstorms
#Grim and Frostbitten Kingdoms
#Descent into Eminent Silence
#Circling above in Time before Time
#Blashyrkh (Mighty Ravendark)

Credits

*Demonaz - Guitars
*Abbath - Bass, Drums & Vocals

External links

* [http://immortal.battlegrim.net/eng/discography/1995_battles_in_the_north.shtml Immortal Discography and Lyrics]