When you see an album with the Middlesborough bruisers' moniker on it, you know it's going to be a headfuck. And it truly is - although TAoP have perhaps moved a little closer stylistically to their French contemporaries, it's an individual, fantastic album nonetheless.
Abgott are a UK based black metal band that draw members from Italy, Greece, The UK and South Africa. This eclectic mix of nationalities mirrors their music's dynamic sounds. As Previously stated they are a black metal band but there's no Gorgoroth rip-off bollocks here. Godfather In Black is what I would term 'technical black metal', in that it possesses the same eerie foulness that we all love but it delivers this through interesting music (something all too absent from a lot of black metal). Technical riffs throb through the veins of these songs, topped with snarled vocals and an appropiate amount of guitar wankery. The rabid torrent of riffs is broken up by interludes that I think provide a nice respite and add to the tension of the inevitable oncoming storm. A great album worth downloading (and buying) if only to experience how black metal, a stagnating genre, can still be innovative and interesting.
Although this is not Deathspell's best album, it is still excellent, and came well within my top 10 albums for last year. Although there is little deviation here from the style developed on previous albums, it is perhaps a little more accessible than previous efforts, in particular 'Fas...'. Also notable among DsO releases for its shorter length.
You don't really need to understand Latin to get the general gist of this EP's title (provided you have a solid grasp of a language of Latin descent); likewise, you don't need to hear a new Deathspell release to know it's going to be a cracker. One of the few 1-track releases I like this much, there should be no passing up on this gem.
Latin album titles are generally seen as one of two polar opposites: either awesome, cool, whatever, or pretentious. Whatever your view, there is no denying the quality of music on offer here. Even more 'out there' than 'Si...', this perhaps focuses more on Blut Aus Nord-esque chromatic progressions, but the variation makes this a more than worthy addition to Deathspell's canon.
Back when I first heard this, it scared me shitless. That said, I was still used to listening to all manner of -core mediocrity, and this didn't really seem to be music to me. A wonderful piece of modern black metal, even if it doesn't chill you to the bone.
And this is the album where DsO truly started creating some of the most astounding music of recent times. It's also, to me, their best. Although lyrically pretentious (supposedly a Christian sermon but backwards), musically it is untouchable.
Although later in their career, Deathspell Omega would produce some of the most boundary-stretching, and indeed best black metal of recent times, this is far more standard black metal fare. Not that it's not a good album, it's just not up to the lofty heights of their later career.
Abgott are an Italian technical black metal band, now based in the UK, who, to my mind, are underrated. Although their most recent album 'Godfather In Black' was poor, both this and 'Fizala' are excellent. I haven't heard the debut.
