Abbath – Abbath

[schema type=”review” name=”Abbath – Abbath ” description=”Label: Season of Mist” author=”Basak Günel” pubdate=”2016-01-22″ ]

When it comes to black metal, everyone has heard the name Abbath. After parting ways with Immortal in 2015, he is back with his first full-length solo album “Abbath”, which has been released on January.

One of the highlights of the record is the mixture of the many genres that are blended to the record quite well. Black metal is starring for sure though; it’s the good old Abbath that we know with his aggressive and unique vocals. But there is also a bit of a heavy metal and a punk-ish touch to the album which is felt when you spin the record over and over again! One thing I also liked is how the drumming –totally black metal- and the riffs are kinda competing with the vocals, making the record really dynamic and harsh! Another thing I recognized is how much the elements of nature are featured in the song titles; the album’s character definitely reflects the elements of nature indirectly, making the record more interesting!

There are some awesome highlights in this record. “Winter Bane” is one of the catchiest songs. I loved the melodic riffs that sounded and felt exactly like winter itself and it definitely shows us the true character of the album. “Root of the Mountain” and “Ocean of Wounds” felt like tributes to the old BM era; they have a raw style – even though the album’s production is not raw- and fans of the old BM era will definitely enjoy these two songs.

“Abbath” is definitely recommended not only for Immortal/Abbath fans but also fans of the harsh but melodic side of metal! I gotta mention that if you are a ‘raw old-school BM’ fan or if you are not a fan of big clean productions, you might find this album too ‘clean’ though. Let’s see what Abbath will deliver us in the future; I am definitely looking forward to the future releases!

Line-up:
Abbath – vocals , guitar
King – bass
Creature – drums

Tracklist: 01. To War 02. Winter Bane 03. Ashes of the Damned 04. Ocean of Wounds 05. Count The Dead 06. Fenrir Hunts 07. Root of the Mountain 08. Eternal 09. Riding on the Wind 10. Nebular Ravens Winter

Links:
Abbath Facebook
Abbath Official