Editing Immortal (band) (section)

===''Blizzard Beasts'' and ''At the Heart of Winter'' (1996–1999)===

''[[Blizzard Beasts]]'' released in 1997 introduced technical thrash elements with shorter more focused songs, though it contained the epic "Mountains of Might" and continued the lyrical themes of cold and winter.

Apart from the two core members, Abbath and Demonaz, Immortal did not find a stable lineup until 1996 when drummer Horgh joined the band and is credited on the album ''[[Blizzard Beasts]]''. A major turning point for the band was in 1997 when Demonaz suffered acute [[tendinitis]] in his arm and was unable to continue playing, and Abbath took over for guitar. Despite this, Demonaz continued writing lyrics and has been a manager for the band, accompanying them on tour, releasing updates and giving interviews about how things are progressing with the band.

Abbath and Horgh wrote and recorded the band's next album, ''[[At the Heart of Winter]]''. Immortal's early full-length releases were in traditional black metal style, but their most acclaimed album, ''[[At the Heart of Winter]]'', marks the period when the band began to experiment with a complex fusion of black metal and [[Teutonic thrash metal|German thrash metal]],<ref name=thrash>{{cite web|author=John Serba |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/at-the-heart-of-winter-mw0000056436 |title=At the Heart of Winter - Immortal  |website=[[AllMusic]] |date=7 December 1999 |access-date=29 November 2016}}</ref> resulting in the sound of Immortal's later works. During the tours for this album, the band recruited Iscariah to stand in for bass duties, and made him a full-time member.

Erik "Grim" Brødreskift committed suicide in 1999. Grim appeared on the on cover of ''[[Pure Holocaust]]'' and is credited as the drummer (though he did not play on the album), and toured with Immortal as their drummer. The band frequently headlined the [[Hole in the Sky (festival)|Hole in the Sky]] festival held in his memory.