All Shall Fall

Norwegian black metal band Immortal were always a little ahead of their peers; even on primitive early albums like PURE HOLOCAUST and BATTLES IN THE NORTH, they had a gift for anthemic melody that came through the almost bassless, lo-fi production. When they shifted into high gear with 1999's classic AT THE HEART OF WINTER, combining the hard-charging black metal of the early albums with the crushing thrash of German acts like Destruction and Kreator, they became one of the best metal bands around, regardless of genre. They released two more equally impressive albums - DAMNED IN BLACK and SONS OF NORTHEN DARKNESS - then called it a day. Seven years later, they returned with a truly epic statement that's one of the best metal releases of 2009. The production on ALL SHAL FALL is a thousand miles from the caveman blare of BATTLES IN THE NORTH; they're making truly larger-than-life music as befits their pro-wrestler/barbarian-warrior image. They're writing even better riffs than before, to