Abbath – Dread Reaver
Release Date: 25th February 2022
Label: Season of Mist
Bandcamp
Genre: Black Metal
FFO: Immortal, Gorgoroth, Bathory.
Review By: The Wayfaerer
From the frozen lands of Bergen, Vestland in Norway, Olve Eikemo, better known by his stage name Abbath Doom Occulta, has returned from the heart of winter to conquer the metal landscape once again. The former Immortal frontman has been continuing his self-titled solo project for seven years at this point, and released two solid albums. Joining Abbath in his quest for sonic domination are Ole André Farstad on guitars, Ukri Suvilehto on drums, and finally Mia Wallace of Nervosa fame on Bass. With Abbath himself focusing on guitars and vocals, he had all the ingredients he needed to release his third full-length project, the sinister Dread Reaver.
Abbath has been in the Black Metal scene longer than most. Hell, he even credits Euronymous himself as the one who got him into the genre in the first place, so the man knows what to do to create a crushing black metal experience. Acid Haze starts things off with a slow fade in and launching into everything you can expect going forward; frantic drums, a crushing bassline, and breakneck guitar riffs. The first thing I immediately took note of was Abbath’s guitar tone. Many black metal bands, especially in the early days, made it their mission to sound as raw as possible. As such, much of their guitar tones were grating treble shrieks and sounded like they were coming through the speakers of an old 1900’s radio. Abbath’s tone is definitely reminiscent of that, with a high shrieking treble, but also has a crunchy low-end punch that is mixed and produced in a way that doesn’t immediately grate on the senses. For pure Black Metal fans, this might be considered an insult, but it does help for more mass market appeal. Abbath’s voice is just as menacing and evil as it was during the Immortal days, and he puts it to good use, tearing through the silence with the grace and force of a…well, a dread reaver.
This album is full of little moments, like the menacing solos on Scarred Core, the acoustic guitar flourish that introduces Dream Cull, the insane speed of The Deep Unbound; it’s all so nicely wrapped up in a tight black, chilly bun, and it tastes so good. But my favorite track of the album strangely enough is in the form of a cover. Hearing Abbath rip through Metallica’s Trapped Under Ice with the speed and ferocity of an angry titan was something that I never knew I needed, but damn do I like it. It’s also relatively short; only nine songs, none of which are over five minutes, so you can probably binge the whole thing in about half an hour.
Overall, what do I think of Dread Reaver? Well, Abbath is obviously the star of the show, so if you’re a fan of his, you’ve probably already bought this album. His voice and guitar tone definitely carry this album, along with Suvilehto’s drums. If there is one stipulation, I don’t know if pure Black Metalheads will appreciate the overproduction, as it is anathema to the traditional black metal sound, but as I said, Dread Reaver, and to an extent, the rest of Abbath’s solo catalogue seem to be made with more of the mass market in mind, so make of that what you will. I really like it, but do I like it more than Northern Chaos Gods? The jury is still out on that one. If you’re a black metal buff, or are curious about getting into it, check out Dread Reaver and decide for yourself.
(4 / 5)
