This caught me off-guard. Straight out of Dartmouth, Massachusetts comes a new album from Abaroth entitled Emissary of the Void; Ten years of nothing, then this gem shows up. I’ll make this a short review, because you can just listen to the damned music yourself. The main point of this is to spread the word, so my job is done now… but I’ll say a little more.
This isn’t one of those one or two person black metal outfits. No, Abaroth has five members working on Emissary of the Void. They are labeled as “atmospheric black metal” on the Metal Archives. I think that applies to some of the songs thanks to the choral vocals and the bleak soundscapes. However, they seem almost more like pagan metal… Perhaps American pagan metal thanks to their focus on nature, folklore, and the occult. Some of this reminds me a little of Nechochwen. I am mostly thinking about the chanting and the feeling I get of being in a thick forest. Abaroth is a bit heavier throughout, but there are some similarities.
The music is moody, soaring, melodic, and melancholy. The production is bright and aggressive, but there is enough depth to allow for a slightly hollow feeling. I don’t feel like writing any more. It’s a brilliant album. If you like black metal, melodic black metal, pagan black metal, or similar… buy it. Bandcamp link below:
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