Abhorvm is the newest addition to the ranks of Death Revelations, a label that has been churning out stellar underground releases lately by Triumphal Vengeance, Hæksenhamer and Sacris Ritus Vermes. All rooted in Black Metal, what really unites these bands is the strong sense of dedication to the genre, with a genuine passion oozing from the releases.
On its first release, Abhorvm mixes Death and Black Metal in a manner that is quite reminiscent to the titans of Teitanblood. With wild drums, reverb-laden bellowing growls and low-tuned guitars, the result is a crushing and brooding sound not for the faint of heart. After the brief instrumental ‘Kenosis’ sets a darkened tone, the first full track ‘Apocalypse Protoplast‘ has a grinding wildness that reminds me of earliest Bolt Thrower. But especially once the tempo drops, the Black Metal riffing is apparent. Despite the absolutely unhinged echoing vocals and thundering drums, the riffs remain quite distinct, making it more than pure unadultered violence. With feedback dripping over into ‘Hammer of the Accvrsed’, the second song starts off with a ‘Where the Slime Live’ Morbid Angel vibe, until a Mayhem riff takes over and propels the track into ferocity. In this song the Black Metal aspect is even more pronounced, with riffs taking a bit more of a center stage. Briefly it slows to a crawl, stripped to chord strokes, percussion and bestial growls, until the grinding pace is brought back in full force. The song ends in chugging heaviness, full of feedback and bellowing cries. Finalizing the EP is ‘DTHTRP’, a song originally released by Svartidauði on their split with Perdition. As one of the shorter Svartidauði tracks, it’s not nearly as complex and dissonant as some of the material on ‘Flesh Cathedral’, and a more seamless fit with the brooding mass that sole member V.S.V. conjures with his Abhorvm. A great rendition and a great fit with the other songs on the EP.
Death Revelations is quickly growing into one of my favorite labels for the pure dedication the label and artists put into their craft. Abhorvm is no exception, as they leave nothing short of an excellent first impression with this bestial, wild and above all passionate Black/ Death Metal EP.
