Yeah... To me, this band is truly elusive. When I do listen to it, I think it's among the greatest stuff I've ever heard, but I never play a record more than twice in a row, and after I've had a session it's often months until I play anything by them once again, for no particular reason.
I find this weird, since I usually don't have this sort of habit when listening to music.

In any case, I'm a big fan, in particular when it come to the early efforts. Silenius sound wicked on vocals, perhaps my favorite black metal vocalists when it come to doing shrieks, they're truly perverted, but I guess the greatest things about Abigor is the guitar work of TT and PK. People often speak of black metal being neo-classical and all that, and if that hold true to any band, it's about Abigor. Hell, those riffs are like... I don't know, and the use of timpani only add to this definition.

Anyway, any fans out there? (Stupid question, I know all who have heard Abigor must be a fan!)

Great band! I own a copy of Channeling the Quintessence of Satan and it is probably my favorite release by them. The guitar work is amazing, as previously stated. The production value of the album adds a lot to the atmosphere and the guitars have a very cool tone to them. Nachthymnen is also pretty good. I still have to check out their later material ...from what ive heard it doesn't have the same sound as their older albums.

Amazing band. There second album (can't remember the name and I'm typing this on my phone so I can't be bothered looking) is a true masterpiece. I love that album so much. There later stuff is abit hit and miss though.

I only own Satanized and it kind of sucks. There are some cool parts, but the songs seem aimless and the guitars are somewhat drowned in the mix. On the strength of the consistent praise given to their earlier works, I traded for Nachthymnen recently. I hope it arrives this week. After giving that some spins I might contribute my thoughts here.

Yeah, they went for a weird direction with Satanized. Some of the previous elements are still there, but they're put into a much different production and compositional technique which don't really favor their sound very much.

The first four albums all have their great moments and their mediocre moments. Very uneven band. It seems like they never quite fulfilled their potential, which was undeniably there.

One of the greatest and most underrated bands I've ever come across.

What I most cherish about them is the fact that none of their records sound alike, each having an unique atmosphere, and yet the unmistakeable Abigor touch (in terms of songwriting, arrangement, performance, etc.) is always there.
Speaking of songwriting, these guys can stuff more great riffs and themes in a single songs than many bands in an entire album.

Those who think that "symphonic" and "black metal" are not meant to be melded together have clearly never listened Supreme Immortal Art. I've owned that album for 8 years now and yet I discover something new every time I listen to it.

Good band, for the most part. Fractal Procession was boring, but their releases up to CtQoS are all classics of black metal.

Let it be known that Silenius is one of the best voices in black metal, and the Abigor works that feature his vocal contributions are the only worthy ones. Orkblut, Nachthymnen, and Verwustung are my personal favorites of this era, featuring actually tasteful use of atypical metal instrumentation (timpanis, female vocals, etc.). Something about Abigor's atmosphere is so unique and captivating, I'm always going back to those early albums.

Abigor is one of the greatest black metal bands ever. There will be 3 new releases this year if I understood correctly. Split with Blacklodge, new album and re-recorded version of Channeling the quintessence of Satan.

i think im the only one who totally loves fractal possession

Yes.

I've only heard Orkblut - The Retaliation. Definitely one of the best black metal works to grace my ears.

You're not. I think Fractal Possession is a masterpiece. I know many people that love that album.

I like Fractal Possession as well, though I can see why many people would despise it. I'm not too sure about some choices they made myself, like the very dry and hollow sound tha at times makes the instruments sound very disjointed from each other, as well as some production details like the split second silences before tempo changes in the first track.

Then again, I also liked Satanized. I remember being pleasantly surprised at how different and fresh it sounded when I bought it. Not my favourite by a long stretch, but it's still a good listen. Battlestar Abigor and especially Repulsor are amazing songs.

Agreed. There are highly enjoyable passages, but they're rather short and sparse. The rest is filled with either banal tremolo riffs or interludes and fills which are seemingly weird for the sake of being weird.

"Orkblut", "Nachthymnen", "Apokalypse" and the first half of "Opus IV" are all brilliant, though. Speaking of "Apokalypse", am I the only one here who thinks it's among their three best releases?

I could never narrow the best Abigor releases down to only three, but Apokalypse is indeed amazing. The vocals on that record are some of the best Silenius ever did, incredibly malevolent and way different from his usual approach.

The music itself is quite different from typical Abigor songs, too.

Well, that depends on how one would definite a "typical" Abigor song, if such a thing even exists

In my books, a typical Abigor song is at least 4 minutes long.

I really love the early Abigor, there are some new stuff that are great but in general I don't like industrial Black Metal...

I fucking loved Nachthymnen. Aside from the amazing album title and cover, songs like "Unleashed Axe-Age" are incredible and positively inhuman.

I'm not too much into their other [later] stuff, but Nachthymnen is quite the masterpiece.

"I'm the one behind the shadows,
Tyrant of damnation,
Believer in war,
I will build the bridge of hate
To walk on pagan ways
In the light of the moon..."

Ahh, I love this passage. It's the contrast between the lyrics and the angelic voice that sings the first four lines, only to fade out subsequently as soon as the guitar fades in and Silenius belches forth the remaining two lines in demented shrieks.

Also, i prefer Nachthymnen from the old albums, just great riffing and overall atmosphere. Quintessence is also pretty good and furious record. But i still think Fractal Possession is the best so far, avantgarde/technical black metal the way it should be (3D Blasphemy!!). Still i understand why older fans or fans in general dont like it. In my opinion, whole band is pretty underrated.

I hope EAL releases soon the long-awaited demo box, Blacklodge split and Quintessence Of Satan re-recording.

Spot on!
I also love how in the last part of the song they go through all the riffs of the first half in quick succession, before finishing with an unpredictable, epic grand finale. These guys are such amazing composers.

And talented lyricists too. The only album where I slightly dislike the lyrics is the debut (it was "Kingdom Of Darkness" that got me into Abigor, though).

Perfectly said. I don't think I've ever been into a black metal band as much as I was into Abigor. Didn't hear a single song by them i didn't like, except Satanized wasn't too good and I'm not a huge fan on the new one. I also seem to be alone in thinking Opus IV is their best record, let alone in the top 5 best black metal records ever.

Opus IV is one of the most intricate records ever created in the black metal genre, especially the Horns Lurk Behind The Stars part. Some sections are just so out there you really have to wonder how the hell they thought about them in first place. The booklet's claim about it being "music not from or for this world" (or something to that extent, I don't have the cd here with me now) certainly rings true.

Funnily enough, the same album also hosts some of the band's most bizarrely catchy moments, like The Elder God (My Dragon Magic), the opening section of Dimensions of Thy Unforgiven Sins (Part I) and the stunningly emotional finale to Spektrale Schattenlichter.

I'll also have to give praise first to OPUS IV. Not the Abigor record that got me first but when it did, fukkin' shit. Weirdly cosmic, complex but not jacking off, truly innovative, furious, raw and just overall one of a kind and belongs to one of my most treasured recordings ever YARRR. I could go on with many more gay sentences but this record speaks for itself.

All records up to Apokalypse though are very important to me and Supreme... + Channeling... are also worth keeping. Don't know though if PK und TT spilled beers to mixboard or what coz' the guitar sound on Supreme Immortal Art is weak and synts are way over the top, call gothambulance. I haven't still got into Satanized but Fractal Possession I think is really killer record. Sensitive Nachthymnen redrosewarriors can put flutes up their ass.

On a slight koff topic though, what do you homot think about Amestigons Höllentanz? To me it's almost as important as earlier Abigor, like somewhat their even more darker brother. Total unique austrian style featuring also PK och TT/few same riffs as Opus IV has 7" split.

Ps. PK/TT can also bring forth thunder, death and enlightement from their mighty swords ov death also known as pencil to humans and E.T.

Apparently the volumes went all over the place during the mastering process. I like how the album sounds, though, it fits its atmosphere. Plus the synth parts on the album are amazing, so no complaints.



Amestigon are great and Hoellentanz is a mandatory listen for Abigor fans. The sound is also pretty close to early Abigor albums, though slightly more unbalanced (at times drums and vocals bury the guitars, but it's still pretty easily decipherable).
Speaking of related projects, Heidenreich's first ep, A Death Gate Cycle, is highly recommended by yours truly. The title track alone makes it wortwhile, and the rest is no slouch either.

Awesome band and while I don't care much for Fractal Possession, I love their other albums, even Satanized, which seems to get a lot of shit. Their compositional skills are unmatched and their riffs are the epitome of darkness.

On a somewhat related note: PK's surname is amusing, to say the least.

The Twilight Kingdom is an amazing album imo, unfortunately I had to download it as I couldn't find it anywhere and the few albums I could find where second hand and ridiculously over priced ($80).

There's one certain section out of a song, from their whole discography that always struck me as the greatest.

The culmination 04:40 into "Universe of Black Divine", strikes me as emotionally every time I hear it... and well, hell, that whole song is probably my favorite.

Good call. Abigor are among the masters of "emotional buildups" - some section of their songs seem to be designed just to grab your attention and flood your being with all-absorbing intense feelings.

Other examples I can think of are The Spirit of Venus (the slower, synth-drenched riff with THAT perfectly crafted guitar line on top that recurs after the blasting part, both sections recur twice), the already mentioned ending to Spektrale Schattenlichter, the last part from Battlefield Orphans (especially when they mirror the guitar riff with that keyboard break), the central break in Repulsor... and several fucktons more.

I know it's not cool to like female vocals in BM but Abigor perfected it with Revealed Secrets of the Whispering Moon, one of my all time favorites of theirs.

This band always struck me as trying too hard in the versatility dept, and most of their material is randomly pieced together from cool-sounding scraps. They have their moments (mostly on Channeling and Nachthymnen), but underrated they are not.

Edit... Fractal Possession is the first thing they've put out that borders on coherence.

Yes, Abigor is a grand achievement of neoclassical aristocratic black metal. A real delight to listen to.... except for anything after Silenius left, they have just gone to shit. Mainly I feel this way because I love medieval classicism ambiance and loathe the switch to stale non-atmospheric contemporary themes.

I presently have just Orkblut and Supreme Immortal Art. But they are fantasitc each in their own way. I especially enjoy Supreme Immortal Art due to the insane density, technicality, and overblown symphonic elements.. harps, obes, strings, timpani of course... and that beautiful horn march that leads in the whole album. Their best work so far.

I my opinion, that versatility and sheer chaos is what is their charm. Their overdone detail and meticulous obsession with complex, odd arrangements is unpredictable and thrilling. Having some experience with atonal music, I utilize the idea of listening to Abigor's songs in a serial context... let them lead you where they want to go in the music. This is especially so with Supreme Immortal Art.

Hell even their album art has this some lush neoclassical attention to detail