Opus: Decay

Although this quartet formed in 2008, Abominor has so far released very little product with a short demo in 2010, limited to about 13 copies, and this EP in early 2015.

The title track is a raw and brutal experience, initially all blast-beat fury and aggression backed by swirling guitar storm, led by cold ragged ghostly vocals. The atmosphere of this track is as black as can be and the guitars have a demonic buzzing edge, especially during the middle instrumental section where they work a number of riffs over and over. The drumming is good although perhaps not as heavy and thunderous as would suit the music. Lead guitar melody can be very shrill and at one point in the track it was careering off into dozy trance-like psychedelia. Overall this is a good black / death metal fusion piece, very tight technically yet sounding quite loose and loopy, and deranged near its end.

"474", the other track, is a more malevolent and melodic creature with a stronger doom emphasis. Bass riffs exude an unhealthy and sinister air, and the counterpoint tremolo melody is equally menacing. The drumming is better here with a stronger sound. About halfway through the song enters a savage blast-beat phase and during this section sheer horrific sonic violence almost erupts. Madness soon overtakes the musicians and possesses them completely and the song races off on a demented path with lots of growling and screaming.

For most people, this EP will be all the Abominor output available and as it is, it probably doesn't represent what the band is really capable of. When the musicians go fast, the sound gets a bit thin and light in parts; when they decide to go slower, the music becomes more powerful and doomy, and the black claustrophobic atmosphere makes itself felt. Both songs are dominated by riffing and strong rhythms though there are occasional melodic tendencies. The music is hard-hitting and raw, manic for the most part and very uncompromising. A heavier sound with a deeper vocal, more upfront in the mix, might suit the band more.

To my ears, this sounds a bit like Deathspell Omega in its intensity and sonic dense quality, and while that's not necessarily a bad thing, I have heard quite a few bands lately sounding similar to DSO. Abominor needs a more distinctive style that helps the band stand out from the crowd.