Album Review: Abbath - Dread Reaver
Reviewed by Sam Jones
For some, the individual known as Abbath requires no introduction. Incremental to forming Immortal in the early 90s, Abbath became one of the stars of Black Metal not merely for the band’s reputation but also his antics on and off the stage. The man didn’t take himself too seriously, something that still emanates to this day. However, by the late 2000s cracks were appearing in Immortal which infamously resulted in Abbath leaving the band and establishing himself as a solo act. Forming his solo act in 2015, the first self-titled studio album, met with much anticipation, was released a year later to fervent critical acclaim; the stage was set and Abbath clearly didn’t require the moniker of Immortal to garner new legions of fans anymore. Outstrider followed in 2019, showcasing that the band’s debut album success wasn’t a fluke which now brings us to their third album release titled Dread Reaver. When I saw this record announced I was suddenly very excited as, in earlier years, I thoroughly enjoyed late Immortal material for their strong production quality and my ability to make out clearly what was going on, a staple trope Abbath continued on in his own solo work. So, without further ado, let’s check out Dread Reaver and inquire as to whether Abbath may carry on his train of successes.
Much like a live performance this album opens up not with an instantaneous slab of power, but as if you can start to hear the power ramp up before the curtains are dropped and the full might of Abbath’s power is hence unveiled; that is Dread Reaver’s opening. Following this, the band make it very clear that they wish to carry on the high production quality Abbath’s past work made adamant and essential to their identity, something that was also just as prominent throughout the back end of Immortal’s catalogue whilst Abbath was still involved. The guitar work comes down on you like a meteor, not only are we receiving the full might of the evil this record possesses but it’s the thick density the guitar tone also harnesses; forget a knife slicing through butter because this guitar attack is so dense the blade would become stuck and caught in the sinews of this record. I was able to naturally headbang along to this record all the while waiting for a train home from Manchester Piccadilly (I’d just seen Vader and Marduk play the night beforehand) but I didn’t care, because the power and strength this album exudes comes so organically out of the band’s performance.
If anything, this might actually be one of Abbath’s strongest vocal performances in a very long time. His frog-like, croaking vocal style was something that I enjoyed as it differed from other more contemporary black metal performances; but here it’s as if he’s chosen to up the ante and inject even more vitriol and bile into his throaty performance. The power his vocals manage to imbue this record with is genuinely something to behold, it might not be the greatest or most unique black metal vocal delivery we’ve ever heard but in regards to Abbath’s established vocal persona it’s absolutely startling. I think it also has to do with the vocal and guitar work battling in the mix; the instrumentation certainly seems to have been amplified this time round within the mix. But oddly enough it doesn’t make the album feel sloppy, if anything it actually gives the vocals that additional layering of repugnance and violence because we, as the listener, cannot hear it super cleanly. That, I think, is what sells Abbath’s vocal prowess here: it’s the first time in a while where, within the mix, his vocals aren’t 100% clean even though it’s still a relatively clean performance.
As I was listening, I couldn’t help but keep repeating the tracks as they came in the album. I would often be repeating tracks two, three times before moving on to the next because I was so sucked in to the enveloping and utterly immersive vistas that Abbath throw at us. It’s not merely the powerful instrumentation, vocals and mix that the album clearly entails but in how much devastation they’re willing to throw at us at once. In any moment they can hurl malignant vocals, thickly dense guitar riffs and samples of air-raid sirens all within seconds of the other starting up; the result is a maddening cacophony of power that you aspire to drown in. It’s an intoxicating level of power I haven’t beheld in a long, long time. As mentioned previously I reviewed this whilst waiting for a train back home from Piccadilly station and able to vibe and headbang along; I didn’t care what I looked like because the album absorbed my attention and consumed me so completely, I didn’t feel out of place. Dread Reaver truly does transport you from your ordinary surroundings and unloads a thermonuclear payload on your senses; one that gladly obliterates them time and again as you freely return for repeated punishment.
Much like Immortal and Abbath’s established solo catalogue, the songwriting pacing isn’t always rooted in lightning-tempo playing. There are plenty of times herein where the pacing is fast, much faster than what I can recall previous Abbath solo outings being and the record certainly demonstrates that speed for us to feel through the riff work. However there are also numerous occasions whereby the pacing is a little steadier and draws us back to the usual repertoire we’re used to experiencing during an Abbath album, akin to late Immortal material as well. These segments are necessary as not only do they ground us once more following or prior a much more aggressive piece, but it also helps to centre us once again and remind us where we are amidst the swirling insanity in order for us to maintain our attention on what’s happening.
In conclusion, this is a massive album. Personally I feel this is by far Abbath’s strongest solo material mainly due to the fact that Abbath appears to have finally released any constraints he seemingly imposed on himself. It certainly presents itself as his most aggressive and off the wall record to date, the immersive and enveloping atmosphere as well is something binds you within the walls of this record to a much greater extent than prior Abbath records. You don’t listen to this as much as you experience it, pulling you in to the maelstroms and vortexes Dread Reaver conjures from beginning to end. It may only be just under 40 minutes long but owing to repeated listens of varying tracks throughout its duration, my experience of Dread Reaver extended to more than double that time. Throw in an unexpected Metallica cover of “Trapped Under Ice” that isn’t treated as a throwaway final treat at the end, but as an integral part of the album’s structure and you’ve got a few genuine surprises waiting for you. Its intoxicating surge of power that rises above the album’s crest at the start never dissipates and consumes you gladly. By far one of the stronger offerings so far this year, Dread Reaver is a record that’s bound to tape eyes open and have people sink into the backs of their seats with the force Abbath bring to the table this time round. Absolutely gigantic soundscapes await.
