Abazagorath - Abazagorath review

Reviewer:
8.0

5 users:
6.4

Band:	Abazagorath
Album:	Abazagorath
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	February 02, 2012
A review by:	Troy Killjoy

01. Conjuring (Intro)
02. The Antigod
03. Lapse
04. Immortals
05. Storms Of Destruction

Wow, talk about the most subtle return from hiatus imaginable. Did any more than five people even know this EP existed? Because they should. It's pretty awesome.

In case you weren't aware of the band's existence, Abazagorath is a veteran occult American black metal group that sadly never received the same attention as Judas Iscariot or Krieg, yet their material is easily comparable in terms of not only sound, but quality. They take a no-nonsense approach to well-executed - albeit somewhat raw - black metal, finding a perfect balance between extremity and accessibility, filling songs with catchy hooks and infectious rhythm but never sacrificing the grim atmosphere that gives these more straightforward bands their bite.

This self-titled EP is an excellent return from what was a rather unfortunate hiatus, as the band asserts themselves as a legitimate outfit capable of sparring with the heavyweights in the scene, even after more than a decade of activity. Expect a continuation of blistering blastbeats, emotionally driven compositions, and well-produced raw straightforward-yet-slightly-melodic quality black metal in the near future, as Abazagorath look to claim the Eastern black metal throne in the name of Satan.

Rating breakdown

Performance:	9
Songwriting:	7
Originality:	6
Production:	9

Written on 13.04.2012 by

Troy Killjoy

I'm total pro; that's what I'm here for.

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Boxcar Willy yr a kook Posts: 9157	Permalink 13.04.2012 - 05:25 Boxcar Willy yr a kook Posts: 9157 Might give it a listen, not a big fan of just Black Metal, add some folk or sludge, and you've got your self a party... but just regular? Meh. ---- 14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse I do your mum *DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS* Loading...
Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306	Permalink 13.04.2012 - 05:29 Rating: 7 Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 Written by Boxcar Willy on 13.04.2012 at 05:25 ...add some folk or sludge, and you've got your self a party... Less than 10% of my reviews have been for folk- or sludge-influenced black metal. ---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something." Loading...
Boxcar Willy yr a kook Posts: 9157	Permalink 13.04.2012 - 05:33 Boxcar Willy yr a kook Posts: 9157 Written by Troy Killjoy on 13.04.2012 at 05:29 Written by Boxcar Willy on 13.04.2012 at 05:25 ...add some folk or sludge, and you've got your self a party... Less than 10% of my reviews have been for folk- or sludge-influenced black metal. I'm just saying that I prefer BM if it is sprinkled with those You could always start doing more. ---- 14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse I do your mum *DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS* Loading...
Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306	Permalink 13.04.2012 - 05:36 Rating: 7 Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 Written by Boxcar Willy on 13.04.2012 at 05:33 I'm just saying that I prefer BM if it is sprinkled with those You could always start doing more. I'm just saying you're looking in the wrong place if you're expecting those kinds of reviews. As those influences aren't exactly what I look for in my black metal (with the exception of Dragged Into Sunlight and Lord Mantis), you probably won't see me reviewing those kinds of releases. ---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something." Loading...
Boxcar Willy yr a kook Posts: 9157	Permalink 13.04.2012 - 05:38 Boxcar Willy yr a kook Posts: 9157 Written by Troy Killjoy on 13.04.2012 at 05:36 Written by Boxcar Willy on 13.04.2012 at 05:33 I'm just saying that I prefer BM if it is sprinkled with those You could always start doing more. I'm just saying you're looking in the wrong place if you're expecting those kinds of reviews. As those influences aren't exactly what I look for in my black metal (with the exception of Dragged Into Sunlight and Lord Mantis), you probably won't see me reviewing those kinds of releases. Too bad. I enjoy reading your reviews. Why can't our tastes coencide? ---- 14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse I do your mum *DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS* Loading...
strade Posts: 677	Permalink 13.04.2012 - 20:15 strade Posts: 677 Ha! I knew it existed, wrote a review of it elsewhere, and even gave it the exact same score. Great little thing. Not to reign on your parade or anything, Troy. ---- My lo-fi synth project: http://luciddreamer.bandcamp.com Loading...
Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306	Permalink 13.04.2012 - 20:24 Rating: 7 Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 Written by strade on 13.04.2012 at 20:15 Ha! I knew it existed, wrote a review of it elsewhere, and even gave it the exact same score. Great little thing. Not to reign on your parade or anything, Troy. I'm actually glad someone else was aware of it, and it doesn't hurt that we feel the same about it either. Consider my parade not "reigned" on. ---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something." Loading...
strade Posts: 677	Permalink 13.04.2012 - 20:31 strade Posts: 677 Written by Troy Killjoy on 13.04.2012 at 20:24 Written by strade on 13.04.2012 at 20:15 Ha! I knew it existed, wrote a review of it elsewhere, and even gave it the exact same score. Great little thing. Not to reign on your parade or anything, Troy. I'm actually glad someone else was aware of it, and it doesn't hurt that we feel the same about it either. Consider my parade not "reigned" on. That's right, I REIGN on everyone's parade! evil laughter But yes, completely unintentional. I guess I was just too excited thwarting you to use words correctly. Thanks for steeling my glory. ---- My lo-fi synth project: http://luciddreamer.bandcamp.com Loading...
Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306	Permalink 13.04.2012 - 20:36 Rating: 7 Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 Written by strade on 13.04.2012 at 20:31 Thanks for steeling my glory. Not a problem. I'll try to iron out any future problems like this. ---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something." Loading...
Edmund Fogg Posts: 1752	Permalink 13.04.2012 - 22:27 Edmund Fogg Posts: 1752 Ooh this sounds like a nice little piece. My home Cpu fried and I can't stream anything at work. God I hope good reviews and reccomendation threads don't fill up too much while my PC gets fixed. ---- You cannot sedate all the things you hate - MM The Observer is the source of reality - Bloom God damn it!! What did Diddy didn't do? - Satan Loading...
Oaken Hipster Posts: 1322	Permalink 14.04.2012 - 01:01 Oaken Hipster Posts: 1322 Written by Troy Killjoy on 13.04.2012 at 05:29 Sludge Can you please explain to me WHAT IS SLUDGE?? ---- In that case, man is only air as well. Loading...
Oaken Hipster Posts: 1322	Permalink 14.04.2012 - 18:38 Oaken Hipster Posts: 1322 Written by Nightfall on 14.04.2012 at 18:36 Written by Oaken on 14.04.2012 at 01:01 Written by Troy Killjoy on 13.04.2012 at 05:29 Sludge Can you please explain to me WHAT IS SLUDGE?? A metal sub-genre. Bands like Acid Bath, Crowbar, The Ocean, Baroness, etc. I know it's a sub-genre, but I want to know its characteristics. And thanks for the suggestions. ---- In that case, man is only air as well. Loading...
psykometal A staff guy... Elite Posts: 6101	Permalink 15.04.2012 - 00:43 psykometal A staff guy... Elite Posts: 6101 Written by Oaken on 14.04.2012 at 18:38 I know it's a sub-genre, but I want to know its characteristics. And thanks for the suggestions. LOL. I always felt that Sludge was one of those genres that was pretty self-explanatory. Imagine what the literal definition of "sludge" would sound like in audio format... sludge (slj) - n. - Mud, mire, or ooze covering the ground or forming a deposit, as on a riverbed. ---- ~Zep, Database and Forum Moderation~ Loading...
Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071	Permalink 15.04.2012 - 11:38 Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 Very mediocre release and only recommended to fans of the band. 6.2 ---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 Loading...
Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306	Permalink 15.04.2012 - 15:11 Rating: 7 Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 I definitely wouldn't call it mediocre and I'd recommend it well beyond fans of the band. Fans of pure black metal in general, especially those who enjoy the more raw forms of black metal out of Finland. ---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something." Loading...
Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071	Permalink 17.04.2012 - 03:42 Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 Written by Troy Killjoy on 15.04.2012 at 15:11 I definitely wouldn't call it mediocre and I'd recommend it well beyond fans of the band. Fans of pure black metal in general, especially those who enjoy the more raw forms of black metal out of Finland. total revivalist black metal And even then not too good at it eve though they have been going at it for years. ---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 Loading...
Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306	Permalink 17.04.2012 - 04:10 Rating: 7 Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 17.04.2012 at 03:42 total revivalist black metal And even then not too good at it eve though they have been going at it for years. I'm not sure you can call a band like Abazagorath revivalist for the same reason you can't call Asphyx revivalist. It's technically the same argument, just different opinions on specific tastes. ---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something." Loading...
Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071	Permalink 17.04.2012 - 04:16 Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 Written by Troy Killjoy on 17.04.2012 at 04:10 Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 17.04.2012 at 03:42 total revivalist black metal And even then not too good at it eve though they have been going at it for years. I'm not sure you can call a band like Abazagorath revivalist for the same reason you can't call Asphyx revivalist. It's technically the same argument, just different opinions on specific tastes. but at least Asphyx were original when they started and didn't try to sound like anyone else in the scene at the time. Same can;t be said about Abazagorath. Asphyx were at the forefront whereas Abazagorath have always been followers and totally not influential ---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 Loading...
Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306	Permalink 17.04.2012 - 04:22 Rating: 7 Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 I don't judge a band based on their influence, I judge their albums based on how I think they sound. An 8 seems appropriate for me, whereas the latest Asphyx I'd probably give an 8.3. Two very good albums that I'd readily suggest to others but nothing that hasn't been done before by others. ---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something." Loading...
Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071	Permalink 17.04.2012 - 04:27 Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 Written by Troy Killjoy on 17.04.2012 at 04:22 I don't judge a band based on their influence, I judge their albums based on how I think they sound. An 8 seems appropriate for me, whereas the latest Asphyx I'd probably give an 8.3. Two very good albums that I'd readily suggest to others but nothing that hasn't been done before by others. Like I said Asphyx are Asphyx and it's their sound which they invented whereas Abazagorath's sound has been done by loads of bands before them. Enjoyable but nothing more and really something only for fans of the band. ---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 Loading...
isolate Posts: 4	Permalink 19.04.2012 - 04:10 isolate Posts: 4 I've always thought this was an underrated usbm act as well. I enjoyed Sacraments thoroughly, but this new ep hasn't excited me as much, only a couple notable tracks. I am interested to see what's in store though, hopefully a full album and then some live shows would be great! Loading...
Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306	Permalink 19.04.2012 - 04:23 Rating: 7 Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 Written by isolate on 19.04.2012 at 04:10 I've always thought this was an underrated usbm act as well. I enjoyed Sacraments thoroughly, but this new ep hasn't excited me as much, only a couple notable tracks. I am interested to see what's in store though, hopefully a full album and then some live shows would be great! Definitely underrated, and hopefully a full-length will be released soon. It's been long enough I think. ---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something." Loading...