Harald Nævdal (born 6 July 1970), known by his stage name Demonaz Doom Occulta, or simply Demonaz, is a Norwegian musician best known as the founding guitarist and chief lyricist for the black metal band Immortal. He is currently the only official member of Immortal, and has previously been a member of Old Funeral and Amputation.

Career

Demonaz formed Immortal together with Abbath in 1991, alongside other former members of Old Funeral and Amputation. He is known for his lyrics which, unconventionally for black metal, focus on icy landscapes and a fictional land called Blashyrkh. The story of Blashyrkh is gradually told throughout Immortal's albums. When writing lyrics he often takes long walks in the Norwegian countryside near his hometown of Bergen for inspiration. He was known for his simplistic and fast guitar parts which always featured power chords. Demonaz and Abbath comprised the core of Immortal in its early years, with an unstable lineup until drummer Horgh joined the band in 1997.

Demonaz played guitar on the albums Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism, Pure Holocaust and Battles in the North, with his last musical contribution to Immortal being the 1997 album Blizzard Beasts. That same year, he was diagnosed with acute tendinopathy and could no longer play guitar at the speed required for Immortal. Demonaz continued writing lyrics for the band and assumed the role of manager, often accompanying the band on tour.

Immortal split-up in 2002 and later reunited in 2006.^[1][2] That same year, Demonaz contributed lyrics to the black metal supergroup I and their album Between Two Worlds. He released his first solo album, March of the Norse, in 2011. After having surgery to correct his tendinitis in 2013, Demonaz was able to play guitar again and returned to Immortal as a guitarist and vocalist following Abbath's departure in 2015.

Discography

References

External links

• Harald Nævdal discography at Discogs
• Harald Nævdal at AllMusic
• Official website of Immortal