Abbath. His press blurb calls him “The Lemmy of Black Metal”, and as much as I wanted to revolt against this idea, I have to agree. He’s had some much-publicised troubles in the last couple of years, but he appears to have got his stuff together. Personally, from his post-Immortal output, the “Between Two Worlds” album from short-lived supergroup “I” remains my favourite, and while 2016’s “Abbath” and 2019’s “Outstrider” were both fine records, they couldn’t compete with the song writing majesty of that album.
Well, that was until now.
“Dread Reaver” is the album that solo-Abbath has always threatened to release; it’s a culmination of his influences all at once. It’s no secret that the black-and-white one is a huge fan of all things metal. He’s unabashed in his love of Kiss (no one is perfect), Motorhead and NWOBHM bands as much as Bathory and Mercfyful Fate. This is the record that manages to showcase all of this within his trademark icy sound.
Starting with the ferocious “Acid Haze”, the record bursts from the speakers with the fury and fight of a starving polar bear. “Scarred Core” has some tasty trad metal hooks in between those frost-bitten six string moments, while “Dream Cull” writhes and snakes around your brain. It’s a stop-start windswept number that has the swagger and confidence of “At The Heart of Winter” – era Immortal, but keeps one foot placed firmly on the monitor of oldschool traditional metal stomp. The chorus? Oh man, forgetabout it. Black metal’s very own take on oldschool metal, complete with face-ripping soloing taking place over the top. If you’ve wondered what Darkthrone’s most recent metal-influenced extremity would sound like if played by Motorhead atop a mountain, this is most certainly the track for you.
The opening lines of “Myrmidon” probably tell you what you need to know about it as a track,
“I stake my grail through gut of foe
Embed my flail, watch skull explode
Shield-rim smash teeth from maw
One fell slash cleaves hanging jaw”
It’s essentially Abbath’s take on classic Motorhead deep-cut “Deaf Forever”, a forced-march tempo of battle-hungry lyricism before collapsing into black metal, triumphantly blazing. That Bathory drum beat weaponised to assault the listener is a thing to behold.
“The Deep Unbound” makes for an adrenaline pumping experience, providing the kind of riffing frenzy that hearkens back to the Blizzard Beasts days of Immortal, except this time not produced to sound like an angry wasp stuck in a jam jar. “Sepentrion” was just written to be performed live. It has the perfect temp for audience participation and head banging, and should bring the legions of fans to break out in gonzo smiles.
“Trapped Under Ice”. Yes, by that band, covered here by the undisputed master of all things metal and indeed ice. What does it sound like? Well, pretty much how you’d expect, to be fair. It’s pretty heavy, but you know the track already. It’s a fun (if inessential) cover that shows that Abbath can throw down with the thrashers.
“The Book Of Breath” is a glowering, moody number that bristles with intent. Nobody really produces riffs like Olve, and this is just another example of him throwing quality riff after quality riff into the mix. Then we come to the album closer, the title track, “Dread Reaver”. It’s as close as an album as heavy as this can come to being an “anthem”, complete with catchy chorus and ascending six-string work. Then, with an echo of the title, it ends abruptly. The battle is over.
Good? Certainly, the best of his solo career, and up there with the best of Immortal too. Anthemic, confident and compelling.
(9/10 Chris Davison)
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