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░ ██ ██ Artist: Abyssgale ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Hegemon █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-07-17 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Immortal Frost Productions ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Reissue ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ ItÆs always a sign that a label is doing good █
█ things when they send in several cdÆs and after █
█ giving them a spin and finding myself playing them █
█ right through that I want to keep them all. The █
█ latest batch from Belgium label Immortal Frost █
█ Productions were a case in point. Of course that █
█ would not be at all fair to other writers so I █
█ made my choice and plumped for Greek blacksters █
█ Abyssgale amidst tough competition. The reason why █
█ I went with this was probably part due to the no █
█ bullshit attitude of the band. The album blasts in █
█ without any hint of an intro, goes straight off █
█ like the clappers and does not down tools in the █
█ slightest until it finishes 40 minutes later. Also █
█ itÆs a debut album and has just been put out by █
█ the label following a limited 150 edition cassette █
█ only release on Razorblade Productions early 2014. █
█ There seems to be more and more good bands coming █
█ out the Greek underground of late and Abyssgale █
█ including a bassist who also plays in Dodsferd are █
█ no exception. As æExecution LitanyÆ pounds in with █
█ some hefty blasting and thorny guitar work it sets █
█ itself up perfectly for an exhilarating ride. █
█ Vocals from Godium are suitably coarse and raspy █
█ and the twin guitar work is one of the albums many █
█ defining points drenching things in a really █
█ rampant sense of melody. ItÆs fast chugging, █
█ fist-pounding, head-banging action commanded here, █
█ it also sounds like they have spent quite some █
█ time perfecting things and getting everything █
█ sounding just right. █
█ Another plus point is that this does not have me █
█ off on a box ticking exercise comparing to other █
█ bands. The group have a good sense of their own █
█ identity here and just dig in and get down to █
█ flinging out one track of good, punishing, fast █
█ and speedy black metal track after another. The █
█ title track has some black thrashing motifs about █
█ it and surges forward with some dextrous █
█ windmilling riffs as the vocals suitably croak out █
█ the words ôMonstrous God, your harsh voice croaks █
█ and oozes out the shadows.ö Tracks flow neatly █
█ into each other making this all the more of an █
█ exercise of constant rabid, flurrying action. █
█ There are eight of them here and nothing is █
█ extended beyond a natural life span, or thatÆs how █
█ it feels and things do not outstay their welcome █
█ in the slightest. I think the guitar melody that █
█ grandiosely looms out of æAnoint Wounds With █
█ PoisonÆ makes the track a particular highlight for █
█ me. As it builds with savage buzzsaw tones and █
█ grates and grinds away it really does make those █
█ bloody wounds open up and the track just gets more █
█ and more virulent as it forges ahead. Things just █
█ seem to intensify as things go on, Anileo has the █
█ same sort of contagious, disease and decimating █
█ spread to it as I found in the recent Lord Mantis █
█ album. ThereÆs something quite foul about it but █
█ again the superior melodies glisten and glimmer █
█ through with some great guitar sound from the █
█ otherwise beefy production. Ok so there is a bit █
█ of an ambient break between this and the next █
█ track but believe you me by now you are going to █
█ need a break before your head falls off your █
█ shoulders. █
█ There is a bit of a Rotting Christ vocal bark to █
█ Altar Thane Of Mental Alienation but I blame █
█ myself partly for thinking this and no doubt may █
█ not have done unless the band were Greek. The █
█ stealthy stalk at start is forgotten as this again █
█ flies away and blasts off hell for leather again. █
█ There are some creepy atmospheric parts though and █
█ the band do prove they can slow things down █
█ momentarily without damage to their overall modus █
█ operandi. And there we have it as things storm █
█ away through another three numbers until the end. █
█ I love it when a band comes out of nowhere and █
█ really impresses and thatÆs exactly the case here. █
█ Bearing in mind when this material was actually █
█ recorded I have to hope they must be almost ready █
█ to unleash a second attack, I canÆt wait to hear █
█ it on the strength of this. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Execution Litany 4:24 ░
░ 2. Hegemon 5:48 ░
░ 3. Anoint Wounds With Poison 4:45 ░
░ 4. Anileo 5:11 ░
░ 5. Altar Thane of Mental Alienation 5:25 ░
░ 6. Hunting Horn 5:44 ░
░ 7. Ancestral Cult 5:06 ░
░ 8. The Rising Chants for the New Hierarchy 3:46 ░
░ 40:09 ░
░ ▒ ▒
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