Summon the Beast

Not many people seem to pay attention to this record, let alone the band, which is a side project of all three members of Hypocrisy. The Abyss is a short lived project, releasing only two records during its lifetime. Image wise, Peter Tagtgren, Lars Szoke and Mikael Hedlund chose not to embrace the visual aesthetics of generic black metal like fellow household monikers Marduk or Dark Funeral. However, the music that they crafted under this banner is noteworthy as being unique and strong, with rich flavor blended in second wave black metal goodness.

Far from being just another goofy act, The Abyss delivers eight consecutive blows to the heads of Christians so strong that each one doesn't survive to tell the tales of how painful it was. First heard on Nuclear Blast Death is Just the Beginning IV compilation, Satan's Majestic Empire unleashes unimaginable fury upon pressing the play button. The production is quite well balanced. While rhythm guitars are generally set to be mid-driven distortions, the overall sound is maintained throughout and is of course exceptionally consistent. The atmosphere is purely evil in nature, similar to Heaven Shall Burn... When We are Gathered by Marduk. Here, the feeling is pretty straightforward. It is evil but it is also brimming with hatred for all things holy. Mikael Hedlund also puts on a great performance, occasionally sharing the mic with Lars Szoke especially on the opening track and Feasting the Remains of Heaven. There is also a brief solo in the title track Summon the Beast at around 02:30 mark and again in The Hymn. Nothing special but I would describe the lead guitar as psychedelic and space-like in nature. Somehow that solos don't actually sound out of place after repeated listens. With tremolo pickings aplenty, the rhythm guitars don't really progress that much. Again, this album is rich in very dark atmosphere thanks to the cleverly crafted riffing. Just listen to the repeated riffs in Cursed (I think it's the bridge-chorus section). It builds up a sense of foreboding malevolence known only to few. Those who appreciate this kind of black metal will understand what I'm trying to say.

You can definitely hear the bass guitar on this record. It is not exactly buried low in the mix like ninety per cent of other black metal albums playing in this style. The toms are explosively heavy whenever Peter Tagtgren sprays his fills around the drum kit. This is especially interesting with the booming double bass which sounds amazing even on normal speakers. Peter also plays bass guitar and being a recording engineer, he knows exactly what to tweak and how to equalize the mix perfectly so nothing is left out. From technical stand point, the drumming is samey and monotonous. It's blast, fills, blast, fills all the way. This record weakest point is also its strongest. Although the drums don't accentuate the rhythms by a wide margin, they have to be played that way to keep up with the fast paced, one-track mind songwriting. Like I said, this album is very straightforward. No time is wasted noodling away in senseless technicality just because they can. The Abyss is making a statement and you better pay attention. Satan is everywhere. Paradise is demolished with the blood of Christian lambs raining down upon the Earth once Satan unveils his majestic empire. While at it, the rebel souls are blessed with the wrath of evil, damned for eternity over their mutiny in overthrowing the kingdom of God. These Satanic rebels then summon the beast by reciting the hymn from cursed scrolls. Once the invocation is complete and the beast has risen, all that's left to do is feasting the remains of heaven, finally waiting for the arrival of a new eon where religious ones are forever dead.

Highly recommended for fans of no nonsense black metal in the veins of Gorgoroth's Pentagram, pre-Panzer Division era Marduk, and old Dark Funeral. Great songs? I think all of them. Plus, this album is short, clocking just under twenty nine minutes and shouldn't be a chore to listen to.