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This is the surprise of the year for me. Originally I heard this was 'death-rock', and so I was in no rush to hear it at all, but finally word of mouth brought me around, and I am really glad it did. I, the band, is the brainchild of Immortal's Abbath and some guys from Gorgoroth and Enslaved, and Between Two Worlds is definitely one of the freshest sounding albums this year.

Rather than an Immortal clone, which many people seemed to be expecting, I dish up a hybrid sound. The sound here is equal parts cold, epic Immortal riffs (with which Abbath has definitely not lost his touch) and the headbanging, propulsive sound of Motorhead, complete with bouncy beats and chugging, classic-metal riffage. The guitar sound is a bit smoother than Immortal, and Abbath has softened his raspy gargle to a more accessible, slightly melodic sound. Not to fear that this is anything resembling sucky Death Rock, or a sellout album, fie on thee for thinking it. No, Between Two Worlds just melds Immortal's heaviness and epic punch with the catchiness of classic metal (including some stellar leadwork) to create a unique and memorable new sound that really stands out from the mass of genre-bound metal works out there. "I" do share Immortal's tendency to go on a bit, and there are places here and there where the songs are just too long, and get a little repetitive, but that is a minor quibble in the face of such a strong debut album. Between Two Worlds will surely earn a place on a lot of 'year's best' lists, and I hope this is only the beginning for this great band.