Released by: Season of Mist
Release date: 22 January 2016
Genre: Metal
Links: Facebook , .abbath.net
Lineup:
Abbath – Vocals & Guitar
King – Bass
Creature – Drums
Track Listing:
01. To War
02. Winter Bane
03. Ashes of the Damned
04. Oceans of Wounds
05. Count the Dead
06. Fenrir Hunts
07. Root of the Mountain
08. Endless
09. Nebular Ravens Winter
Since the moment I saw his iconic make up, Abbath has fascinated me. There was nothing spectacularly fantastic about how he looked, but for some reason I found it captivating. When I learned about the man, mostly through his music with the band Immortal, I was further intrigued at not only his persona but the man behind the corpse paint. Immortal was one of the few Back Metal bands that I took to almost instantly when I stated dipping my foot into this genre. Again, much like the persona, there was something coming out of the speakers that connected with me. I was saddened to hear that he departed from his longtime band. As far as I am concerned, he was the focal point of Immortal. He is embarking on his eponymous return to the metal realm with his s/t debut.
When an artist goes solo, they often decide to try something different, experiment with different styles. Abbath stayed true to what brought him to prominence releasing what I find to be as strong an album as anything he has done in the past. This album demonstrates why he is held in such high regard in this genre, utilizing the same interpretations he has for ages, brutally aggressive guitar riffs, attacking the strings with a vengeance, vocals pulled straight from the bowels of hell, blast beats capping it all off, featuring lyrics of war, death, and the glory of all things dark and cold. From album opener “To War” to the very last strains of “Eternal,” it is a pummeling, unrelenting, Black Metal assault.
Anyone that was afraid that Abbath would soften on his own probably doesn’t have a clue about Abbath to begin with. This is another opener of 2016 that I have found myself returning to before moving on to other albums. Hopefully in a couple of months I will finally get to see him live as he tours for this album. Until then his s/t debut will get me through.
Written by: Chris Martin
Ratings: Chris 9/10
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