This new record brings smashing sounds
Norwegian black metal band Abbath has been creating their musical havoc since 2015, and in late March of this year the band released Dread Reaver. On each track, Abbath’s vocal performance is dominating, and his guitar playing is strong enough, to jolt the veins of those who are listening. Additionally, Ole André Farstad’s guitar playing fills the atmosphere with righteous riffs and Ukri Suvilehto’s drumming shakes things up with solid drum beats. The music on Dread Reaver shows how Abbath is still capable of creating top-notch metal music.
The opening song “Acid Haze” shows how lead singer Abbath can bring strong emotions through his authoritative voice. While listening, the shrieking from his vocals gives this track a sense of madness by how angry he is while wailing out the lyrics. Abbath kicks things off with a strong and emotional vocal performance on “Acid Haze.”
Soul shaking “Dream Cull” has killer guitar playing from Farstad. In black metal, the guitar playing can keep things together by generating ear-bleeding notes. In this composition, Farstad does a great job of using his skills to contribute to the endless insanity. Toward the middle of the tune, mind-dazzling guitar riffs fill the atmosphere with energizing notes that can cause people to headbang while listening. “Dream Cull” has Farstad playing his heart out on the guitar.
“The Deep Unbound” features former Abbath bassist Mia Wallace. Although Wallace is the bassist of the metal band Nervosa, her presence shines brightly in this album, helping with the lingering craziness. Right off the bat, heavy bass guitar playing can be heard emerging from the background with a sharp noise that welcomes people to the dark work of Abbath. It is nice to hear how well Wallace can perform with the rest of the band still, with each riff matching the same pace the rest of the band is playing.
The classic Metallica song “Trapped Under Ice” is covered on the album, and Abbath does so with great success. In this masterpiece, the band’s talents are highlighted, showcasing their vocals and instrumentation. Other than Abbath’s love for Metallica, the lyrics have strong emotions. The chorus “Freezing (Freezing), can’t move at all/Screaming (Screaming), can’t hear my call/I am dying to live/Cry out, I’m trapped under ice” mentions how some people feel trapped in their darkness. Also, the feeling of hopelessness and despair can be felt when people realize they can’t escape their hardships. “Trapped Under Ice” is a wonderful song that has words everyone can relate to, and is a great addition to the album.
The title track, “Dread Reaver” ends things with strong drum playing by Suvilehto. The best part about the composition is how fast Suvilehto can play on the drums due to how the musical tempo is simple and fast. He does a wonderful job of staying attuned to the flow the rest of the band is playing. “Dread Reaver” is a face smacking closer that gives Suvilehtoa a chance to show the world who he is as a drummer.
Abbath hits a homerun with Dread Reaver, proving this band is still able to produce bittersweet black metal music.
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