Band:	Abstract Spirit
Album:	Horror Vacui
Style:	Funeral doom metal
Release date:	April 25, 2011
A review by:	KwonVerge

01. За Пределами Сомкнутых Век
02. Post Mortem
03. Пульс
04. Vigilae Mortuorum (Interludium)
05. Без Меня... Мертвое Завтра...
06. Атрофия Мировоззрения
07. Horror Vacui

When the earth is not enough to withstand your emotional weight, there's always plenty of time to drown in funeral doom tunes and lose yourself into the depths of wherever. Either alone or with company there's enough bleakness in the world, it's just that, such kind of music is more than enough to realize the bereaving side of the pits of hell that seem to be more apparent than anything else; on earth.

Abstract Spirit hail from Russia and Horror Vacui is their third release so far, I don't bear any acknowledgement concerning their previous releases so I intend to share my thoughts concerning their latest effort. Horror Vacui devours, the listener, the world, the album itself. There's a slowly but steadily marching feeling of devout menace following you through its whole duration. Low tempo, downtrodden, distorted guitar riffing paves the way upon the body of the deceased. And you have to admit that you actually concur the guitar's obscure sounding effect being inflicted upon some desolate slow-marching, echoing chords and/or leads from time to time, suddenly emerging to spread the plague. The rhythm section could have been more imposing, but somehow it seems just fine the way it is since the overall ambiance relies on other aspects of Abstract Spirit's vision.

The vocal lines play their very own part in the atmosphere factor, they mainly move in deep grunting pathways. There are moments though you may witness some kind of desolate shouting or unearthly chanting enriching and at the same time darkening even more the soundscape. There's definitely a sense of mental asylum within a cathedral (and vice versa) unveiling its drugstore upon your mind. So many options, but one way to move forward so as to suffocate backwards. Either way, some female vocals or female-seeming keyboard lines are here and there to strengthen the beast that's trying to hunt down your soul. And then the keyboards come to the surface. Minimal, simplistic, surrounding, what else could you ask for inside this lurking menace?

Abstract Spirit's Horror Vacui has to be one of the best funeral doom releases of 2011, they're not so many anyway, but still, despite not being one of the most personal bands around (Ataraxie, a bit of Pantheist, whispers from Shape Of Despair etc), they have that thing that makes you feel attached to their sound, even though the vibes are neither pleasant nor positive. You've got to embrace negativity so as not to be harassed by her ruthless dagger.