Review Summary: THIS IS THE TOTAL CLEANSING OF ALL FORMS OF LIFE ON EARTH
For a seasoned black metal fan, Abigor is a band that needs no introduction. Best known for scorching riffs, superb musicianship, and Silenius of Summoning fame on vocals, Abigor is one of the more iconic second-wave black metal bands to come out of Austria in the early-90s. Starting off with a strictly “kvlt” approach on their earliest releases, the band picked up a more experimental edge over the course of their discography culminating in the release of the disjointed
Satanized (A Journey Through Cosmic Infinity) in 2001, to mixed reception, before disbanding two years later in 2003. After a three year break, band then went on to reform in 2006 with a new vocalist, Arthur Rosar, and released an all new album,
Fractal Possession, the following year.
Upon reading back over old reviews from around the time of the album’s release, one can quickly draw the conclusion that many in the black metal scene were less than enthused with the direction that Abigor has taken here on their 8th full-length and it is not hard to see why. This album is straight-up weird. Gone are the folksy melodies and stripped-down, raw atmosphere of previous releases. What we have here is something entirely different. As oxymoronic as it sounds, I would describe
Fractal Possession as a “technical” black metal release. Other descriptors that come to mind are avant-garde or “industrial influenced”. Think a newer Mayhem album, but on acid and speed, or maybe just later Dødheimsgard. The chaotic and unhinged kind of black metal with super polished production and razor-sharp musicianship.
Immediately, when the first proper track on the album, “Project: Shadow”, begins, you know you are in for a mind***. Bizarre, techy riffs, lightning-fast drumming, and a vocalist who sounds like deranged lunatic shouting his manifesto. This first track sets the tone for the album perfectly. After a while, the riffs change to more a melodic, but still rather complex approach as strange industrial sound effects play along with random samples, spoken-word bits, and sections that just randomly stop and then start again creating music that sounds like it was spit out by a possessed machine. As the album continues along, the listener is subjected to a barrage of strange atmospheric sections, killer riffs, and breakneck blast beats that never let up over the duration of the entire album. Clocking in at around 53 minutes,
Fractal Possession is remarkably consistent and I would go as far to say that there is not a bad song on here.
As for the musicianship itself, the new vocalist, Arthur Rosar sounds quite similar to legendary Mayhem vocalist Attila Csihar. Rosar’s regular vocals aren’t really a traditional black metal shriek as much as they are a more throaty, sinister sounding croak. Over the course of the album he also employs some kind of deranged sounding singing and shouting as well that fits with the bizarre style of this album. The instruments, all performed by T.T. and P.K., are played at a master level. In particular, the drumming (handled by T.T.), is lighting fast and tightly played. As was mentioned previously, the guitar work is highly technical and bizarre sounding throughout much of the album, yet in other sections it is highly catchy and melodic. In both cases, the guitar work shreds and memorable riffs abound. Overall, I think that it is safe to say that
Fractal Possession is a very well performed album.
Overall, Abigor do a great job of reinventing themselves here. I can see how black metal fans repulsed by anything “progressive” or “technical” would be less than enthused about this, but for my money, this is a damn good album. For any metal fan into the more bombastic and eccentric stuff,
Fractal Possession is worth checking out.
