- Country: Norway
- Style: Black metal
- Label: Season of Mist
- Release date: 22 January 2016
Once Abbath left Immortal, the obvious question was what he would sound like on his own. The answer, mostly, is: like Abbath. That’s both the charm and the problem of this self-titled debut.
“Winter Bane” is the clear highlight, a striding, frostbitten anthem built on the kind of riff that made his name in the first place. “Ashes Of The Damned” is quick and nasty, and “Count The Dead” rolls on a thick, almost thrashy groove, with King ov Hell’s bass giving the low end real weight. Creature’s drumming is busy and tight throughout, and the band genuinely sounds like a band rather than a hired backing crew.
Where it falls short is the back half. “Fenrir Hunts” and “Root Of The Mountain” have all the right ingredients but blur together, and the record never takes a real risk. It sounds great, it rocks hard and it’s easy to enjoy, but it rarely surprises. Still, hearing that croak over a proper battle riff again is a relief.
Best tracks:
Winter Bane
Ashes Of The Damned
Count The Dead
Ocean Of Wounds
Author’s rating: 7.6/10
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