Abigor | ‘Satanized’

If you are not already into Abigor, or at least familiar with their work, you may as well stop reading now. Such an exceptionally difficult band to understand let alone listen to, the Austrian duo have nonetheless managed to throw at least one cd a year at us for over half a decade. Those that love the band will find much to be impressed with on this new offering, which continues the more straightforward (in abigor’s terms!) approach found on last years “Chanelling…” .

That is to say that although extreme velocity remains the key ingredient in the mix, groovier parts have been interspersed to create a nice mixture of death metal heaviness with black atmosphere, and showing people like Marduk how this kind of music should be done properly. Always original and inventive, they have opted this time to include some clean vocals, and I feel that maybe this should have been better left at arms length - some of the warcrys sound truly demented, and not in a good way. An improvement on latter albums is that the (unintelligable) vocals are at the forefront of the mix this time as opposed to being buried in a the multi layered quagmire.

Strangely, and as usual, there is barely any rhythym guitar at all, mostly arpeggiating harmonies evocative of dark medieval soundscapes when coupled with the blasting drum work, and the feel of the album as a whole is quite similar to their “Supreme Immortal Art” magnum opus, but with less dominant keyboards. Their trademark DI’d guitar tone remains, shrill and crisp, but anything else just wouldnt quite be cricket. Songs like “Galaxies and Gone Decay” show a the maturity that the band have been developing over their last two albums in their exciting use of dynamic and new levels of total speed.

You think your favourite BM band are extreme? They are not, Abigor are. “Nocturnal Stardust” is another highlight displaying a dextreity and vapid tricksiness that would make Dillinger Escape Plan proud. But I must re-assert that this band is definitely not for the uninitiated… they are a love it or loathe it proposition. Persistence pays however, and time taken to get into them will reap rewards. Deducted a mark because of the clean vocals.

4 / 5 -Ciaran Tracey ::: 07/5/01