Abbath - Dread Reaver (2022)

Everytime people count Abbath out, he comes back with a vengeance, and with “Dread Reaver” he returns to silence all haters. Showcasing his signature style with a more mature and Heavy Metal edge, nine tracks and 40 minutes of music unleash a barrage of riffs alongside his signature snarls. Not slowing down one bit, this release is as savage as anything he has released in the past.

Wasting no time to inflict aural domination, “Acid Haze” quickly pummels the listener with Abbath’s signature frosty riffs alongside killer guitar leads and blistering drumming. Firing on all cylinders, the band victoriously marches like an unstoppable bullet train with tracks like “Scarred Core”, “Dream Cull”, and the old-school Heavy Metal infused “Myrmidon” anthem, one of our favorite tracks in this release.

Following Abbath’s post-Immortal path, songs like “The Deep Unbound”, “The Book Of Breath”, and the Motörhead-esque “Trapped Under Ice” build up with extreme catchiness to induce maximum headbanging action. As these tracks go by, a picture of Abbath running around the stage with his antics, making the crowd go wild. The interplay between the piercing bass guitar lines and the dueling guitars creates a very aggressive atmosphere, a traditional staple of the band's furious sound.

Closing with the extreme catchiness of “Dread Reaver”, the listener fully succumbs to Abbath’s undeniably mastery of the genre. “Dread Reaver” is definitely a testament to Abbath’s musical trajectory and killer songwriting skills, providing the fans with what they expect, while still polishing things to perfection to deliver some of the most sonically abusive music available.

Label: Season of Mist

Release: March 25th, 2022

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Norway