New Road Report -- Immortal & Absu
3/17/2011 7:50:37 AM by Frank




Immortal. Attempts to encapsulate them--their existence in general, much less their live performance--invariably fall short. Early in the band's career, Abbath and company tapped into an ineffable part of the black metal world's psyche that, despite numberless attempts, no other band has quite been able to recreate.

The line was out the door by the time I arrived, with fans standing nonchalantly in the freezing temperatures, few wearing more than light jackets, long-sleeved metal shirts, or trusty knit caps (also metal band-branded). Once the line began to crawl inside, I could see the dining area full of long-haired and black-shirted types who had been wise enough to arrive early and fuel up for the event. Perhaps I should have joined them--the blackboard up behind the bar read, "Tonight: Immortal, Absu" and on the next line, "$8.50 Hot meatloaf sandwich." A grand triumvirate, if ever there were one.

Before the encore, the crush at the front eased enough for me to turn around and take another look at the crowd. The young faces of the Immortal virgins were awestruck. One young man stared unblinkingly at the fog writhing across the stage floor, with one hand pressed against his forehead as if he couldn't quite fathom what he'd just witnessed. The older members of the crowd, those who already had experienced the Sons of Northern Darkness, wore knowing grins and looked around as if to say, "I told you so."

[Full Road Report]

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