With members from South East Asia and Europe, Abyssal Vortex are essentially an international super-group, comprising current and historic representation from Absence of the Sacred, Impiety, Rudra, Soilwork, Scarve and Aborted. The European connection is drummer Dirk Verbeuren who as far as I can see was dropping by and joined in with this black metal maelstrom.
I was aware already of Abyssal Vortex but recently picked up on the video of “Ravenous Sepulchres”, which features on this furious feast of an EP. I recommend it. “This is Heaven”, it says on the wall of derelict building where it is shot. There’s nothing heavenly about any of this. Obscure shadows create edgy scenes but most of all this is head-bangingly rip-roaring extremity of the highest order. The movement and timing are impeccable. “Ravenous Sepulchres” flows like a well-oiled machine, and it’s here, whetting my appetite for further chaos and rebellion. Abyssal Vortex’s publicity tells us it’s for fans of Naglfar and Emperor and I guess that’s right but this antithesis of Singaporean orderliness and obedience deserves its own stage. The Asian scene is profoundly powerful and does not need to look to the west for inspiration. The impious Mr Priest is typically unpriestly, unless those priests have turned into raging black metallers all of a sudden. “Ravenous Sepulchres” is like being trapped in a snake-infested pit. The guitars come out to play, adding intrigue and majesty in the process, and Mr Verbuuren’s drums whirl and twirl like out-of-control wind turbines. Thrilling.
“Ravenous Sepulchres” follows on from the equally dark and majestic opener “The Netherist Bordure”. Immediately hitting us with a wall of deep venom, this monster of hissing, spitting, gruesome black metal darkness spews forth like volcanic lava. What grabbed me was the deep and growly bass-driven riff line. The drums provide the crossfire. Twists from the guitar and optimal use of sound and growls all add up to a fearsome atmosphere.
“Gut-wrenching buckets of extremity” is what I wrote down when first inhaling “Beyond the Necrolith”. Now if this was what’s on offer at your gleaming new shopping mall and they played this, then it would be a much more interesting and worthwhile experience. All is one as this unstoppable beast thunders on and lays waste to everything that’s there. It’s steady, pungent and ends disappointingly in mid-air, breaking my hypnosis in the process. “An Iniquitous Oblivion” follows with the now familiar deathly guitar line and pattern. This ode to human misery transcends the banality of normal existence with its strength and murderous power.
Because I’m so used to listening to Polish black metal which is as grim and harsh as it gets, I found that the energy of this brought a element of fun to it – I sense Mr Verbeuren’s hand here. My experience of the vastly underrated and underexposed Asian metal is that “fun” is not at its core. In fact this just another way of saying that “Derelicts of Perdition” is exciting and thrilling. But don’t expect to Abyssal Vortex to be receiving invitations to village garden parties. I’m told they don’t tend to like mayhem and chaos at these function. Sixteen minutes is just not enough but what there is here has polish, consistency and shedloads of interest to soak up and enhance the grimmest of atmospheres. And that’s what “Derelicts of Perdition” is: dark, atmospheric and utterly compelling.
(9/10 Andrew Doherty)
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