lista zespołów Black Metal Abazagorath Abazagorath

Abazagorath can be considered veterans of black metal in their own rights, having formed all the way back in 1995 despite the scattered releases that they have released over the year. This year marks the band's break of silence 4 years after the release of their last material on their split with Blood Storm with their self-titled EP.

Album opener Conjuring is a calming track, with an almost depressive-sounding acoustic guitars before Norwegian black metal-inspired riffs come in without any warning, and one instantly knows roughly what to expect in the upcoming 22 minutes of this self-titled EP as the intro track closes with melodic lead guitar lines. As the EP begins proper with The Antigod, one is instantly reminded of Polish bands such as Thunderbolt with the riffing patterns, though Abazagorath tends to have a more melodic and somewhat desolate touch to the music through the melodies that are unleashed by Maelstrom, further reinforced as vocalist Nihilist comes in with his desperate, tortured shrieks. The Norwegian black metal sound of the band shines through even more evidently on tracks like Lapse, and is sure to please fans of black metal that leans more towards the cold and depressive end of the black metal spectrum. Storms of Destruction also sees the band utilise some subtle keyboards to bring about a haunting atmosphere.

However, there is still the element of aggression in the way that the band has executed the songs, with jarring guitar playing style at times by Maelstrom, that is backed by that ominous rumbling growl of bassist Nyarlathotep, which remains constantly audible throughout and certainly helps in making the listening experience an enjoyable one. The importance of the bass in the music is further shown in the short segment given to him on Lapse. Maelstrom also shows off his versatility, with his guitar solos ranging from full-on shred fests to more emotion-infused ones on Lapse, fitting to the entire mood of the album. Closing track Storms of Destruction even brings in an almost neo-classical influence with the intro lead guitars, not only through its melody but also through the playing style of Maelstrom, and further expands the sound of the band with the monstrous growls of Nihilist, aside from his usual shrieking style. The aggressive side of the band is best summarised on Immortals, with the track containing some of the most punishing sections unleashed by drummer Warhead, and also some of the fastest moments on the album.

Despite the release's short length (clocking just short of 23 minutes), this EP has sufficiently showed what 17 years of history has done for the band. The large range of playing styles and atmospheres on this EP also ensures that there is something for anyone who is a fan of black metal in general.