ALBUM REVIEW: Abhoria – Abhoria
Having recently signed to Prosthetic Records, the self-described “Dystopian Black Metal trio” ABHORIA have unveiled their self-titled debut album to the world. In a sign of the times in which it was recorded, the three points of the triangle (gathered from members of ASHEN HORDE, CATHETER and VIMANI) wrote and recorded the album remotely, only meeting up after it was finished. This approach arguably can’t lead to a quality product without the traditional interplay and bouncing of ideas off of each other that comes with proximity, but with such seasoned musicians in the fold, will distance be no barrier to their ability?
From the outset, Abhoria somewhat defies explanation. It opens on a strangely worrying groaning noise before barrelling headlong into the riff-laden and relentless False Idols. This track sets the stall out for what is to follow, changing riff, rhythm and tempo at a second’s notice and doing so while very obviously flexing the power trio’s clear technical ability. We then lurch forth into Mountebank, which sounds like the audible result of what might have happened had the boys from IMMORTAL suddenly and inexplicably gotten really into the proggier side of death metal just before recording Sons Of Northern Darkness. It’s an utterly battering slab of fierce tremolo underlaid with technically excellent rhythm work, particularly in its closing moments which will surely stir the blood of anybody with even a remote interest in extreme metal.
As we progress through Abhoria’s middle section, it becomes clear that not only do the band obviously know their way around a riff, they can also supply groove by the bucketload. Whether it be by sprinkling muscular death metal-styled riffs throughout like little nuggets of gold (see The Thorn) or with superbly melodic tremolo that stands up to that displayed by absolute masters of the craft (Byzantine Promises), you’ll find a multitude of moments that you’ll almost definitely catch yourself absent-mindedly drumming along to on your desk at some point in the next few weeks.
In the album’s twilight moments we find no escape from the technical or the prog-tinted. Grave Expectations keeps the tempo somewhat lower, favouring a breakneck waving riff that pulsates melody at you before peeling away into the more sparsely decorated verses. As it thunders along, it becomes sharply apparent that while this is very definitely heavily influenced by black metal, it is debatable as to whether it actually fits there. The album is a complete genre-bender, appearing to take cues from the likes of HYPOCRISY and SUFFOCATION as much as IMMORTAL and BLUT AUS NORD. This is particularly apparent in the discordant tremolo riff found in late highlight Unevangelized, which hits like the poisonous debris from an exploding reactor core. ABHORIA are clearly soaking up influence wherever they can find it and the result just seems to make their music stronger.
Abhoria’s final salvo Sunless drops the tempo to provide a war-march of a riff, accompanied by some of the most satisfying drum work found so far. Interestingly there are even some haunting clean vocals found here, which really feel like the band getting even more creative with their formula and elevating it above where most bands would dare go. It’s a much less forceful addition to the album, but by the time it draws to a close it will almost certainly leave the listener excited to see what ABHORIA are going to get up to next. Clearly, the distance between the members was no barrier to their creative strength.
Rating: 8/10
Abhoria is out now via Prosthetic Records.
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