IMMORTAL

4th album from 1997 by Norwegian Black Metal legends IMMORTAL and one of the most distinctive releases in the band's catalog. Issued between "Battles in the North" and the later "At the Heart of Winter", "Blizzard Beasts" marked the recording debut of drummer Horgh and was also the last album to feature Demonaz on guitar until his eventual return many years later. Within IMMORTAL's discography, it stands as a transitional work that moved away from some aspects of the band's earlier sound while exploring a more aggressive and direct approach.

Unlike several of the band's more epic releases, "Blizzard Beasts" is built around short, fast and highly intense compositions, incorporating a stronger Death Metal influence while preserving IMMORTAL's trademark icy atmosphere. Horgh's drumming injects tremendous energy into the material, while the riff work from Demonaz and Abbath ranks among the most savage in the band's career. Although it was long overshadowed by the albums surrounding it, the record is now widely regarded as an essential chapter in the evolution of IMMORTAL during the late 1990s.

Recommended for fans of: DARKTHRONE, ENSLAVED, DISSECTION, MARDUK and SATYRICON.