Abigor – Supreme Immortal Art

Author: Brendan Blake

Abigor – Supreme Immortal Art

• Artist: Abigor
• Album: Supreme Immortal Art
• Year of Release: 1998
• Country: Austria
• Label: Napalm
• Format: Jewelcase CD
• Catalogue Number: NPR040

Before reviewing this, I had a quick look through the opinions on the Metal Archives website (often a useful cultural barometer for this type of music, even if it is infested with kvltists, and has yet to impose a sanctions policy for hate-speech). I was somewhat surprised to see that Supreme Immortal Art, Abigor’s 1998 utter masterpiece, has been seen as somewhat divisive. Surprised, because if you don’t think this is one of the high watermarks for the mid-to-late ‘90s black metal scene, you are frankly just plain wrong.

Reading some of those reviews has meant I am going to write something slightly different from my original plan… more of a case for the defence. But this is not the defence of something that is probably objectively rubbish, but I just happen to love (there are plenty of those, whether books, films, or records). This is the case for the defence of a record that I genuinely believe to be one of the finest examples of black metal ever recorded. I’m not exaggerating – I think it’s that good. At some point I should probably write a Top 40 for the genre, and this would certainly feature.

OK, where to start? Supreme Immortal Art is Abigor’s first proper stab at “symphonic black metal”. The obvious touchstone is Emperor, and their spirit is evoked often. Abigor have never been quite as accomplished as the Norwegians they clearly admire, but they’re not doing a terrible job of punting in that direction. Building on their earlier strengths, every song here has both complexity and melody, but – and crucially, I think this was what was lacking on their last couple of releases – there is an emotional depth and swoop to the composition. Sure, there’s rage and hate and all the usual stuff you expect from a black metal record, but there’s a grandiosity to proceedings that wasn’t present before.

Some comment has been made about the prevalence of keyboards, and the production. It is certainly true that the drums are lower in the mix than usual, and if I have a quibble this would be it. TT is one of black metal’s most inventive drummers, and for his efforts to be buried in the mix is something of a shame – a remaster would be well-worth listening to. But to criticise the album for being keyboard-driven is short-sighted (I’m being generous there; the “no keyboards” crowd can genuinely go fuck themselves). This was 1998, and many of the greatest black metal records of the time were using keyboards, as bands had realised that vocals/guitar/drums could be limiting (Abigor had abandoned the pretence of bass guitar a couple of releases ago). Supreme Immortal Art exists within the great pantheon of amazing releases around the same time from Emperor, Tartaros, Obtained Enslavement, Limbonic Art and others – and is better than most (Emperor, notwithstanding). Ben asked me whether I felt there were any stand-out tracks… I think this should be regarded as “a piece”, but if pushed, I guess favourites would be “Soil Of Souls” and “The Spirit Of Venus”, but I think listening to these tracks in isolation is a mistake – they are part of a much greater whole.

This is an album that builds on Abigor’s previously demonstrated ability to construct complex yet melodic compositions, while adding a symphonic aspect that takes this to another level of black metal excellence. I’m going with 90% purely because of my quibble about the drum production, but I really cannot recommend this more highly. If you haven’t heard Abigor before – start here.

Score: 90%

Abigor – Apokalypse

Author: Brendan Blake

Abigor – Apokalypse

• Artist: Abigor
• Album: Apokalypse
• Year of Release: 1997
• Country: Austria
• Label: Napalm
• Format: Jewelcase CD
• Catalogue Number: NPR 027

After some years of being quietly at the progressive edge of mid-90s black metal (there weren’t too many black metal bands regularly employing a flautist at the time, or indeed now), Abigor decided to release the somewhat curious Apokalypse EP. The liner notes suggest it was “produced and mixed in a few hours… for ultimate raw apocalyptic Black Metal listening pleasure exclusively”. At this stage in their career, Abigor were known to fans for the variety ever-present in their song-writing, while still being firmly within a genre at the time mostly known for its traditionalism (No Mosh! No Core! No Trends! No Fun!) – although around about 1997, all of that was about to change. In stark contrast to the wave of experimentation that was about occur, it seems Abigor had something they needed to get out of their system.

At under 18 minutes in length, Apokalypse comes across as nothing more than a paean to the Scandinavian black metal scene, particularly the raw, stripped down “true” black metal of Darkthrone. The near-ubiquitous blast beats open ‘Celestial’ and barely let-up until the end of the EP, showcasing none of TT’s usual flair, although that’s not intrinsically a criticism. Riffing occasionally shows elements of the melody associated with most prior Abigor releases, but is much more redolent of the tremolo-picked works from the original Peaceville Darkthrone records. There is some variation in the vocals – Silenius is usually quite distinctive, but here is either consciously or unconsciously channelling the likes of Aldrahn (Dødheimsgard) and occasionally even Attila Csihar.

This is a frustrating release. It’s certainly passable, even good, but ultimately derivative, and that’s a thing you never want to say about an Abigor release. There’s a palpable sense of hatred and rage here, and that raises this above the generic work of lesser bands, and a sub-par release from Abigor is still better than most black metal bands can ever possibly aspire to. But it is also forgettable, particularly when placed among the glittering jewels of the rest of the early Abigor discography. And at under 18 minutes in length becomes a curio of interest to die-hard fans only.

Score: 70%

Abigor – Nachthymnen (From The Twilight Kingdom)

Author: Brendan Blake

Abigor – Nachtnymnen (From The Twilight Kingdom)

• Artist: Abigor
• Album: Nachthymnen (From The Twilight Kingdom)
• Year of Release: 1995
• Country: Austria
• Label: Napalm
• Format: Jewelcase CD
• Catalogue Number: NPR 014

Abigor continue their good to excellent form with full-length number two, Nachthymnen (From the Twilight Kingdom). It marks an end to their split German/English album titles, but this isn’t really significant as their sound evolves fairly seamlessly from their previous two recordings and earlier demos. I’ve heard others describe this as the high point of the Abigor discography, and while I don’t agree with this summation (I think there are at least a couple of later albums that for me are total classics of the genre), this is undoubtedly an absolute belter of a record.

It’s firmly within the early-to-mid 90s black metal vein, obviously, and with that comes the prerequisite production values – so if you don’t like that thin, tremolo-heavy thing, then I really wouldn’t bother. Having said that, apart from the total lack of bass, this is a remarkably clear-sounding record – noticeably underground, but without devolving into the murk of the truly worst examples of the genre. Bass is sonically absent from almost all mid-90s black metal, so that’s no surprise; allegedly there is some on here, but damned if I can hear it. What is great about this record is just how much *stuff* there is going on! Re-listening to this after a decade of being pummelled by drone, post-metal, blackgaze, post-dronegaze, or whatever is the current thing, it is remarkable just how many riffs there are on this. Those furious blast parts (and the chaos black I think they perfected later) are definitely there, but this is actually hyper-melodic. If I was looking for comparisons I’d go for early Satyricon or Ancient even, but neither were quite as varied as this (at this point in their careers). There are elements that should be laugh-out-loud silly (and I’m sure others would find them so), including the use of female vocals, timpani, the wind sounds, the bell (oh, the bell!), and so on, but I don’t care. I just find myself swept along with it.

It’s better than Orkblut – it has cohesion as a piece of work that its predecessor didn’t, and the band seem happier with blending their frankly insane number of ideas into each song rather than creating separate pieces. It’s not avant-garde in the sense of Sigh or Arcturus, but this is still brimming with ingenuity, within a very traditionalist musical movement – to which they are firmly wed, and I can’t see many looking askance. It’s also, if slightly ridiculous in places (isn’t most heavy metal?), a fantastic metal album. There are bits that recall classic Maiden, there’s a significant chunk of ‘Dornen’ that could have been written by some (decent) Euro-goth metal band, and there is more than enough Scandinavian black metal influence to silence the kvltists. The more I revisit the Abigor back catalogue, the more I find myself amazed they have not achieved the same lofty heights as some of their better-known contemporaries. This is a genuinely great black metal album and if you don’t own it, do something about that.

Score: 87%

Abigor – Orkblut – The Retaliation

Author: Brendan Blake

Abigor – Orkblut – The Retaliation

• Artist: Abigor
• Album: Orkblut – The Retaliation
• Year of Release: 1995
• Country: Austria
• Label: Napalm
• Format: Jewelcase
• Catalogue Number: NPR 008

Continuing my love letter to mid 90s black metal, we come to Abigor’s Orkblut – The Retaliation. The band followed up their well-received debut, with this – not really an album per se, clocking in at just under 25 minutes, and comprising a mixture of fairly Verwϋstung-style black metal numbers alongside a collection of instrumentals and interludes. It marks something of a departure from its predecessor, which was definitely a collection of songs, whilst this needs to be listened to in its entirety, as a single piece of music. Abigor present Orkblut as a kind of concept album – the liner notes read: “the story of a warrior who remembers his pagan origins which inflame his heart. It shows his life from the day he rises, his feelings and his last battle, until his death and the severance of flesh and spirit”. This may not sound particularly original in this day and age (and indeed was ground ploughed by the likes of Manowar in the 1980s), but it was much more of a rarity in the 1995 black metal scene, as pagan/Viking metal (later to become massive) was very much in its infancy.

Sonically though, Orkblut has little in common with the folk metal hey-nonny-nonnyisms of the last decade or so, and represents a far more interesting mixture of the kind of vicious yet melodic black metal Abigor employed on their debut, mixed with the sort of material that Summoning would become known and revered for. This should come as little surprise as Abigor and Summoning share a frontman in the form of Silenius (he seemed almost ubiquitous in the Austrian BM scene at the time), who puts in a typically scathing vocal performance here. The whole enterprise kicks off with the kind of declarative opener that, if I’m honest, Emperor pull off a lot better, but it’s a suitably atmospheric starting point, with Silenius’ tortured howling in the background, accompanied by acoustic guitar. There is also an unusual yet effective use of a flute, but before it has a chance to get a bit too Manowar, the mighty black metal instrumental ‘Bloodsoaked Overture’ kicks in, jaggedly melodic and a clear step up in songwriting prowess from the debut. The central section is reminiscent of contemporaneous Norwegian bands (Ulver, Gehenna), and the drumming – much like on the debut – is refreshingly diverse, with a ‘war drum’ like refrain appearing sporadically throughout the release. Following a further keyboard interlude, ‘The Rising Of Our Tribe’ represents the first ‘proper’ black metal song, complete with requisite blast beats and snarling vocals.

This varied approach continues for the rest of the release, mixing the hateful with the melancholy or ambient. Of the former, ‘Severance’ is a particular highlight, starting with an almost thrash-like riff, but rapidly turning into the type of chaotic wall of sound black metal Abigor would perfect later on (complete with guitar solo!). The latter, with its mixture of keys, acoustic guitar and flute adds to the obscure and (cod) medieval atmosphere, but I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. This release was, in its own minor way, rather innovative and forward thinking for its time, and regardless of its lack of importance in the grander scheme of all things black metal, it remains a classic example of the amazing music that was being released in the mid 90s. It’s short, but 25 minutes of pure black metal greatness. Highly recommended.

Score: 84%

Abigor – Verwüstung / Invoke The Dark Age

Author: Brendan Blake

Abigor – Verwüstung / Invoke The Dark Age

• Artist: Abigor
• Album: Verwüstung / Invoke The Dark Age
• Year of Release: 1994
• Country: Austria
• Label: Napalm
• Format: Jewelcase CD
• Catalogue Number: NPR 005

I like to think that over the years I have grown as a person, and part of that is musically – my taste has broadened immeasurably, and I look back at my previously narrow-minded views with a significant sense of embarrassment. Nonetheless, even now, revisiting early 90s black metal is a trip to my happy place, reminding me of why I fell in love with this music in the first place. And so it is with the first album from Austrian black metal act Abigor.

Released in 1994, most of the black metal listening public were heavily focused on what was going on in Scandinavia (with good reason), and as such quite a number of genre near-classics were and are often overlooked in favour of the more high-profile Mayhem, Burzum, Darkthrone, Emperor et al. I remember reading about the Austrian Black Metal Syndicate at some point in the mid-90s, formed apparently in response to the Norwegian Black Metal Circle, and consisting of the likes of Golden Dawn, Summoning, Pazazu, Vuzem (later Hollenthon)… and Abigor. Many of the original Syndicate are long-since gone, but it seems that Abigor are still going strong. Their debut, Verwϋstung / Invoke The Dark Age, while not their greatest album, remains an outstandingly strong opener in what has been a lengthy discography of ‘true’, but not boringly reductionist, black metal.

After a series of demos and promos of varying quality, both production- and songwriting-wise, Abigor made the decision to a) replace their vocalist (Tharen a.k.a. Rune is out, Silenius is in), and b) base their debut around re-recorded and re-worked demo tracks, with the addition of a couple of ambient keyboard interludes, courtesy of (oddly) Rune. The first thing to note is that, in comparison with their demo material, the sound is vastly improved. Black metal often favours a deliberately raw production, and this is certainly jagged, but unlike some of their contemporaries this is pretty crystal, albeit with the de rigeur near total lack of bass. Secondly, Silenius’ vocals are vastly superior to the demo takes by Rune, being higher-pitched and displaying a far greater breadth of emotion, even if that breadth extends only from hatred to despair and sorrow.

Abigor often get lumped in as one of those bands jumping on the Norsk bandwagon, but I think this is wholly unfair – this is a melodic, diverse, and thought-out record that shows a remarkable degree of individual personality for a debut album from a supposed second-tier outfit. Use of keyboards, acoustic guitar, subtle variation in vocal styles, and a genuinely varied drum performance from T.T. are welcomed, and make this stand out from what was to rapidly become a very overcrowded pack.

You know when a black metal album has really worked as a collection of songs and left its mark when individual tracks stand out in and of themselves, rather than them merging into a morass in your memory as soon as you’ve turned the record off (obviously some records are aiming for this effect; this is not one of them). In this case, Verwϋstung succeeds, offering a number of black metal not-quite-classics in the form of ‘Kingdom Of Darkness’ (with its Seventh Seal-sampling opening), the near doomy parts of ‘Eye To Eye At Armageddon’ and particularly ‘In Sin’, and genuine contender, ‘Weeping Midwintertears’.

Abigor would go on to create bigger and better things – including at least two bona fide black metal classics – but this is an underrated and confident debut from a band that really deserve more of your attention than you have given them to date.

Score: 82%