Unleashing their third album. A refocused Abbath finds themselves traversing all the aspects of metal.
A massive sounding album Dread Reaver is also Abbath’s most “metal” from opener ‘Acid Haze ‘ the tone is set, it is tough the rhythm section muscular and the solos roaring, taking the precision of Priest and the chaos of Slayer, merging it with their trademark pound of aggression, that still incorporates their roots of black metal, but isn’t afraid to stretch and add touches of Motorhead and thrash.
‘Dream Cull’ and ‘’Myrmidon” are pure metal distorted by the Abbath vision that at times purely rock before descending into their chaos, never losing their melody or power Abbath have memorable stompers that barrage the senses and invoke a purely physical reaction. An album so Metal that Metallica’s ‘’Trapped Under Ice “is unfused with pure hellfire and beaten into submission transformed into an octane-driven slice of metal that sits comfortably within the rest of the album.
Dread Reaver – a fearless duellist who represents the metamorphosis of Abbath and the conquering of demons, ‘Septentrion’ is more glory with great riffs, chaotic solos, and metal in its ode to the north. For the purists, their original black metal roots remain, yet there is so much more on offer.
Dread Reaver is glorious in its lack of subtlety and its musical power. This is Abbath at its finest and is the darkest of metal to warm the coldest of hearts.
Abbath: Facebook
Release Year: 2022
Label: Season of Mist
Category: Album
Country: Norway
Reviewed by Sparky
