Season Of Mist has announced the signing of ABBATH. Having recently departed from IMMORTAL to form a new band under his own name, the iconic Norwegian black metal legend is currently working on his debut album for the label, expected in early 2016.

Bass duties for ABBATH will be handled by a man familiar to metal fans across the world — Tom Cato Visnes, more widely known as King Ov Hell and main composer for several GORGOROTH albums as well as his own bands OV HELL, with singer Shagrath from DIMMU BORGIR, and GOD SEED, with exceptional black metal vocalist Gaahl. His fellow GOD SEED member and BORKNAGAR percussionist, Baard Kolstad, will also join ABBATH on drums.

Regarding the signing, Season Of Mist CEO Michael Berberian comments: "My first black metal concert ever was IMMORTAL, ROTTING CHRIST and BLASPHEMY in Paris in 1993. Black metal was then, and still is, defining my musical taste. This concert was life-changing and one of the events that eventually sparked the birth of Season Of Mist. Fast-forward 22 years from that concert at this moment in time. ROTTING CHRIST have been with us for years, and now ABBATH joins us too!

"I'm presenting this signing with a pure adrenaline high and childlike amazement. On top of this, Abbath is one-of-a-kind, a genuine character.

"I have known Tom, a.k.a. King, for years, and Baard is a phenomenon — one of a kind in any generation of drummers.

"I have no doubt that this line­up will surpass anything that Abbath did in the past.

"This band has just the right chemistry, the ambition and the vision to excel."

Having already announced that "new songs have been honed, ready to sit alongside classic IMMORTAL material and rarely — if ever — played gems," Abbath and his band will make their world debut at Tuska metal festival stage, headlining on Saturday, June 27, alongside ALICE COOPER, IN FLAMES, and OPETH, among others. This will be followed by more headline events.

Abbath last year claimed that he rightfully attempted to secure exclusive rights to the IMMORTAL name and logo after lyricist/guitarist Demonaz (real name Harald Nævdal) and drummer Horgh (real name Reidar Horghagen) effectively quit the legendary Norwegian black metal group.

IMMORTAL's core trio consisting of Abbath, Demonaz and Horgh has been together since 1996 and has been responsible for crafting the band's last five albums: "Blizzard Beasts" (1997), "At The Heart Of Winter" (1999), "Damned In Black" (2000), "Sons Of Northern Darkness" (2002) and the 2009 reunion album "All Shall Fall".