by Mark Gromen

What a difference a week makes. Seven days earlier, I was shivering in the sub-zero ice of Helsinki. Now, sun, shorts and lounging by the pool as temperatures crest 80 (27+ Celsius)! Not very hospitable environs for the kings of permafrost, but it was the final date of a short North American run, so nothing could dampen their spirits. Can't help but visualize a cleverly Photoshopped image of our corpse-painted trio, sporting STetson hats and weilding spiked clubs/dangerous farming implements atop the Alamo, in an updated version of a famous PANTERA album cover: Cowboys From Hell, indeed. The tour ends much as it began in NYC, with a sold out show. Chicago was similarly maxed out and all the intervening dates were within 100 of capacity. Even a blizzard in Pittsburgh didn't diminish fan interest. The band was amazed with the response, as all the merch was gone by the fourth night, despite printing more than was sold on the entirety of their last North American jaunt. The strategy of hit & run exclusivity seems to be working, especially tonight, in notoriously laidback San Antonio, where "no one" buys tickets in advance, but IMMORTAL did more than 700 pre-sale. Border patrol best be on their guard THIS Saturday night!

Around 4pm, soundcheck begins, with crew members running through the rudimentary soundboard levels. At some point, Abbath wanders from the backstage, engages me in some short conversation and heads to the mixing desk. He's soon followed the jovial giant Horgh. At 4:30, satisfied with the sound from the crowd, both take to the stage, to work out the monitors. Demonaz is with his former bandmates, acting as another pair of critical eyes and ears, attuned as ever to what Immortal is/was and should be. Asked if it's difficult being so close, without the prospect of actually playing (due to injury), he replies, "I don't have to be up there to think it's great. Would it be better to stay home?" Getting the right mix in this cavernous old warehouse with concrete slab floor and rafter divided ceiling, proves difficult. 4:45, the trio of musicians, not yet in make-up, run through distinctive riffs: bits and pieces of several tunes, testing out the pre-recorded intro to opener 'All Shall Fall', blasts as well as subtleties. Hammer-ons drop into softer sections, punctuated by cymbal hits, as the lighting tech manufactures flashes of lightning behind the band. Eventually, Demonaz too stands onstage, chiming in on the monitor mix. Another selection of guitar runs and as soon as everyone is satisfied, they retreat to the safety of the dressing room or tour bus parked right outside the back door.

ABSU certainly proved their worth in their home state, people driving in from Austin, Houston, even Dallas, five hours away! Many on the coasts won't go more than 30 minutes outside their comfort zone. Following the Texans, it was into the photopit, to snap the always photographic Abbath, mugging to the crowd, flickering his tongue and toying with the audience. The setlist offered a few changes from night #1. Kicking off with 'All Shall Fall', backed with 'Sons Of Northern Darkness' won over the crowd instantly before traveling back into the catalog, although more than half their most recent release found a home in the fourteen song set. The stage was a mix of smoke, deep blue, green, red and purple lights, all colors that make live concert photography difficult. Photograve Management (himself a world renown lens-smith) should know better, at least early in the set.

By 'In My Kingdom Cold', a little beyond the mid-point of the evening, the once stocked beer coolers were completely empty! Onstage, what one could see, as man-made fog smothered everything, Abbath whipped his hair, a furious pinwheel that neglected to dislodge the smoke. No flash pots or explosions (as would have been the case overseas), but the stage was still shrouded in a mist that would have made a 30s London detective film proud. Immortal even got the crowd to clap along. A manic 'One By One' saw the guitarist/frontman saddle across the stage in his infamous "crab walk," while 'Blashyrkh (Might Ravendark)' proved Abbath's evil cackle was still in fine form. Ducking behind the stage to watch 'The Sun No Longer Rises' finale and greet the band as they triumphant left the stage, it was high-5s all around.

As the throng filtered out, management hinted, "Maybe after the next album, we'll try the House Of Blues." Good to know there will be more music AND another visit to this continent. Can't wait!

More photos from San Antonio can be seen here.