Label: Duplicate Records / Void Wanderer Productions / Satanath Records
Date: April 13th, 2021
Five songs across the span of forty minutes. Again. I cannot claim that I still don’t dread such records, even though I’ve come across a couple of them recently that turned out to be more than decent. Some of them even killer. But I still feel the need to tread carefully around them. Such was the case with this duo comprised of individuals coming from Russia and Germany. So, commence “operation Barbarossa”.
As some formal introduction, it is important to note that this is Abigorum’s second full length album, and its release is spread across three different labels, meaning that “Vergessene Stille” will be out on every possible format. Ties to Satanath Records are obvious, since the owner of the label is one of the men responsible for this band. Genre-wise, the selection of Norway’s Duplicate Records comes in handy. As for Void Wanderer Productions, you have a chance to get to know them better through the interview on our pages, so no surprise there either.
But I digress.
What I’m dealing with here is atmospheric black metal, in case you didn’t figure it out already. Now, it is extremely important that you do not immediately associate Abigorum with heaps of depressive, primitive or overly ambient oriented hordes out there. While certain parallels might be drawn between them, the duo strays to an area scarcely explored. At least from my experience. Yes, their primary objective is to create cold and gloomy atmosphere. Also, they mostly rely on raw basics of Norwegian second wave black metal. However, that is where the similarities end. Fact is that Abigorum is able to compose and arrange their tracks in such a way to forget about any outside connotations. Quite frankly, I’m at a loss trying to come up with any comparable bands.
The music presented on “Vergessene Stille” is mostly slow, crawling around you like the morning fog. It is made up of raw guitars, atmospheric keyboards in the background and hellish screams in the front. However, specifically mesmerizing lead guitars often appear as a beacon of creativity. Keyboard shine through in a couple of instrumental interludes, appearing as more than simple ambient enhancement.
Still, I would like to mention the rhythm section as the key feature of the album. Somewhat unusual approach, especially to drum patterns, gives out a vibe of something more than your traditional atmospheric black metal. Funny, but focusing on them I got such a weird Sisters Of Mercy feel on a couple of tracks. Song titled “Zerbrechlicher kleiner Geist” is the best example. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the music that bears resemblance, but it is such a rhythmical lead that reminded me of the old goths. Another note with regards to the rhythm itself is that Abigorum, on occasion, even uses the guitar to accentuate the rhythm. That too adds to an already rich creative output this album offers.
In all regards, it seems to me that Abigorum succeeded in their intention. High level of creativity, very engaging atmospheric aura and a highly expressive cover artwork to round it all up. Perhaps not the best ever created, but a damn good album, nonetheless.
