IMMORTAL has officially completed the songwriting process for its next studio album, marking the follow-up to 2023’s War Against All, which was released via Nuclear Blast.
The update came directly from band founder Harald “Demonaz” Nævdal, who shared the news with fans on Sunday (April 19) through IMMORTAL’s social media channels. He wrote: “Greetings, hordes! The writing of the next IMMORTAL album is finished. The new material follows our steady path of fast riff-powered Blashyrkh metal. More news will follow!”
While the songwriting phase is now complete, it remains unclear whether any additional musicians will be involved in the recording process. In recent years, IMMORTAL has effectively operated as a one-man project centered around Demonaz.
The band’s current structure comes after a series of legal disputes over the IMMORTAL name. In August 2020, it was revealed that Demonaz and longtime drummer Reidar “Horgh” Horghagen were engaged in a legal battle concerning trademark rights. Demonaz had registered the IMMORTAL name as his exclusive trademark with the Norwegian Patent Office in July 2019, but Horgh appealed the decision and ultimately won, meaning Demonaz no longer held sole ownership of the name.
Despite that outcome, IMMORTAL later announced in October 2022 that War Against All would arrive in 2023, with Demonaz listed as the band’s only member—suggesting that he ultimately secured the right to continue using the name moving forward.
These disputes echoed an earlier, highly publicized legal conflict dating back to 2014, when former frontman Olve “Abbath” Eikemo clashed with Demonaz and Horgh over control of the IMMORTAL name. Abbath had claimed the pair abandoned the band after removing their gear from a rehearsal space, but Norwegian courts ruled in favor of Demonaz and Horgh.
Reflecting on those tensions in a 2023 interview with Chaoszine, Demonaz stated: “We have had some disputes. And there was problems already in 2014 with this. But everything is solved now. But I can’t tell you the details because [there is a settlement] agreement [in place preventing us from discussing it].
“Most bands, they are, like, releasing two CDs or LPs and [they] disappear,” he continued. “I’ve had a band for more than 30 years, so it’s impossible not to lose some members or have agreements for so long time. I think every band that’s lasted more than 20 years or 30 years, you will see the same… Not every marriage is a happy marriage.”
Asked about his relationship with Abbath and Horgh today, Demonaz added: “It’s been some time [since we’ve been in contact]. So that’s natural, I think. They’re busy with their stuff and I’m busy with my stuff. It’s not like in the old days when we were meeting up very often. But for me, it’s, like, there’s no bitterness. I’ve moved on, and they’ve moved on.”
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