Abhorrot – Abysmal Echoes (2019)
Austria
Morbid Chapel Records
Formed in Vienna, the Austrian black/death duo released their debut full-length “Abysmal Echoes” back in 2019 via Morbid Chapel Records.
The sound that pervades this debut is exceedingly cavernous and gives the impression that the music was recorded in some underground cave somewhere, although that was probably the idea. Musically, it’s probably somewhere between Irkallian Oracle and Embrace of Thorns, with extra emphasis on rusty-cage raw production. An indecipherable array of grim vocals are belched out atop a hypnotic discharge of distorted, heavy guitars, while pounding drums propel the chaos. Indeed, those with a penchant for murky, chaos-driven, low-fi black/death metal will certainly indulge in the miasmic darkness of Abhorrot.
The only flaw is perhaps the production, since a better sounding recording would’ve given the music a bit more life and amounted to a more powerful sound overall. Nevertheless, it’s still good for what it is. “Abysmal Echoes” straddles the line between cavernous and bestial, but with a noxious atmosphere all its own. The album features 8 songs in total, clocking at 37 minutes. (HT)