It’s quite clear from this debut self-titled release, that AZAVATAR like things big and bold. Lot’s of upper-case lettering, and all the song titles are just one word. They all start with a K (instead of a C), and have V’s instead of U’s.
This may smack of grim and frosty necro territory, but there’s nothing old and cold about this massive slab of German BM, which has powerful and modern production values, and was mastered by Triptykon’s V. Santura.
This is essentially a solo album from former Saeculum Obscurum guitarist AZAVATAR, but it also features C.A. (Odem Arcarum) on drums, KHOTHRON (also from Saeculum Obscurum) on vocals and umbrA (Atrorum, Nebelkrähe) on keyboards.
Here, AZAVATAR takes his previous band’s approach to death metal into much darker waters.
The sinister intro to ‘KVLT’ gets us underway, and then it’s full-power ahead. With rampant drum battery, high-tension riffs, and harsh vocals that settle somewhere in between grunt and rasp, with all the elements remaining forceful throughout. The keyboards make their first dominant appearance on track 2 ‘KAOS’, complete with an industrial edge and some very “moist” sounding guitars.
The doomy, suffocating crawl of ‘KVRSE’ prepares us nicely for the desperation and anguish of ‘KREST’, which at just over 14 minutes long, is the most epic track, in a series of epic tracks. There’s a great extended middle section here, with the overdriven bass adding yet more texture to the mighty assault.
The 5th and final track ‘KRYPT’ ties up the album by name-checking the preceding 4 song titles, and serves as a resentful hymn to the futility of birth. AZAVATAR is at its most hateful here, and a certain word is featured prominently. (I won’t tell you what it is…but it no doubt includes a K and a V).
Freud would have a field day.
This album offers real dynamics over the course of 50 minutes, and though it’s difficult to pick out any particular highlights from its 5 tracks, it’s pulverising consistency results in making this release by AZAVATAR a very worthy addition to your collection.
(7/10 STVART KARROLL)
https://www.facebook.com/AZAVATAR
Leave a Reply