Band: Demonaz
Title: March Of The Norse
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Distribution: Nuclear Blast Records - PIAS
Release date: April 1st 2011
Review: CD

Demonaz are a project by Harald Naevdal aka, indeed, Demonaz Doom Occulta, formerly of Immortal. He left a couple of years ago because of health problems, yet he always stayed in touch with Immortal (he still is involved, for writing some pieces, both musically and lyrically). And now the guy returns with his solo-project.
He does not work alone. For the recording of his debut, Demonaz was assisted by two colleagues he worked with before: Ice Dale (real name: Arve Isdal) and Armagedda, both in I, a band Demonaz contributed to as guest / session musician. Armagedda is the former drummer of Immortal too, and member of cult-band Amputation (the one from Norway, as you might guess), which was sort of pre-Immortal deathness.
Demonaz describes his new solo-outfit as Norse Metal. I adore Nordic (Black) Metal, but Norse Metal? What the …?
But it is sort of correct, such a description. I would rather call it Viking Metal, which is a rather general definition, yet it’s fitting. Main reason: Bathory! Indeed, Demonaz are a Bathory-tribute, Hammerheart-in-Black, as powerful, as epic, as glorious. Even the song titles are mostly bathorian: Legends Of Fire And Ice (baptism included?), Where Gods Once Rode (to Asa Bay?), Ode To Battle… In spite of my total adoration for almost everything Bathory ever did in general, and the Hammerheart-era more specific, and in spite of the dozens of bands / projects that try to sound like (yet usually don’t succeed), Demonaz are, without any doubt, one of those projects that got the picture. And what’s more: Bathory’s dark and epic era (the trans-period between the eighties and nineties) is the main source of inspiration, yet Demonaz do not just copy (even though many parts could have been written by Quorthon, the guy behind Bathory, himself). This is not just another cheap Hammerheart or Twilight Of The Gods Part II. Demonaz add lots of own influences and interpretations – in a way you cannot deny the subtle Immortal-experience, for example – and, another important distinction: Norway (Demonaz) versus Sweden (Bathory) – not to ignore!
I’m willing to analyse and detail each hymn on March Of The Norse, yet I can summarize more easily: THIS IS THE MOST INTERESTING VIKING RELEASE IN YEARS!
(or at least: one of the best)…

95/100

Ivan Tibos.