Review by Benjamin on November 19, 2021.

Tara completes a trilogy that began with 1997’s The Third Storm Of Cythraul, and continued with the EP In The Eyes Of Ioldanach, and demonstrates beyond doubt that after the slightly scattershot, and somewhat derivative Scandinavian black metal stylings of their earlier works, Absu have truly found a singular sound that allows them to stand apart from the crowd, and plough a furrow very much of their own.

Just in case anyone was under the impression that Absu were outgrowing their Celtic obsession, the album opens with a lone piper describing a plaintive melody, very much the calm before the furious storm unleashed by the first track proper. Ever the knowing employers of classic metal cliches, ‘Pillars Of Mercy’ commences with a huge and extravagant tom-tom cascade, a fraction of a second before the Slayer plays Morbid Angel attack of the vicious riffing eliminates all traces of the black metal Absu, replaced with a sleek death / thrash hybrid. The restless melodic and tempo changes remain, but coalesced into a seamless and unrelenting barrage, with tight, focussed songwriting. When the inexorable speed of McGovern’s double-bass work synchronises with the guitars in the chorus, the results are irresistible.

The mayhem continues through exhilarating variations on Absu’s signature sound; ‘A Shield With An Iron Face’ prefaced by a riotous Araya-esque scream from McGovern, and ‘Manannan’ punctuated by demonic tritone harmonies that open up an intriguing melodic element to Tara that is not explored as fully as it might be. The first part of the record culminates in the majestic ‘The Cognate House Of Courtly Witches Lies West Of County Meath’. Although not quite challenging Bal-Sagoth in the prolix title stakes, the cumbersome title belies a perfectly judged combination of tremolo blasting, mid-paced chugging and an unreasonable amount of outstanding riffage.

Perhaps understandably, given the cornucopia of ideas displayed in the opening section of the album, things sag a little in the middle. The obviously triggered drums of ‘She Cries The Quiet Lake’ are a little intrusive, and the desultory meander of both this and the unnecessary interlude that follows rob Tara of some of the momentum built up thus far. Thankfully, the dizzying velocity and thrilling guitar / drum interplay of ‘From Ancient Times (Starless Skies Burn To Ash)’ delivers an immediate recovery, and forms the introduction of a wonderfully varied second half of the album.

‘Vorago (Spell 182)’ is the pinnacle of Tara. The impenetrable magickal numerology suggested by the lyrics creates an arcane mystique that wraps around epic thrashing death metal. The song showcases a more technical side to Absu, and climaxes with an instrumental section that employs Middle-Eastern modal scales to bring the song to a furious conclusion. At times recalling Nile, who were surging in popularity around the time of Tara’s release, these sounds are familiar but not derivative, and represent a splendid addition to the Absu armoury.

Following the brilliantly over the top ‘Stone Of Destiny (…For Magh Slecht And Ard Righ)’, which although being somewhat incongruous with its combination of Sabbathian power metal riffing and King Diamond falsetto vocals, brings some much-needed dynamics to Tara as well as signposting the evolution of sound that would find a more developed expression on 2009’s self-titled effort, a final bagpipe outro brings things full circle. The calm before the storm becomes the calm after the storm, the melody calling to mind a single mournful survivor surveying the carnage of a broken battlefield, smoke rising in the distance. Arguable a career-best effort, Tara stands toe to toe with almost anything produced by the extreme metal scene in 2001, and thanks to its punchy and vibrant production still sounds as good as it ever did.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by ChadL on January 31, 2002.

The Cythraul clan of Absu have unleashed a new masterpiece of "mythological occult metal". "Tara", the bands latest album for Osmose is a grand concept album of the highest order, telling of a hill (Tara) in Scotland that was used as place of sacrifice and worship by the ancient Celts.

The album begins with something never heard on a black metal album before...A bagpipe intro! After this, the band storms into 'Pillers of Mercy' which is a vicious onslaught showcasing everything this unique band has to offer. Each song on this release stands on it's own, as they are all quite amazing. Long time fans will notice that Absu has become much more aggressive, with the slower passages the band is known for being few and far between. For me, this is a good thing, because when this album really gets going, I don't want it to stop.

One thing that is immediately noticeable to me is that these guys are perfectionists. Every instrument is used to it's full potential. The guitars are a mix between black metal and Slayer on speed. The guitars on the whole album have a vintage thrash meets Marduk sound, but without sounding unoriginal, and still sounding very modern. The punishing drumming of mainman Proscripter deserves special mention. His drumming is absolutely amazing, with some of the most creative rhythms and fills I've ever heard, and they are fast as hell, somewhat reminding me of Flo from Cryptopsy. Just listen to tracks such as 'Manannan' and 'The Congnate House of Courtly Witches Lies West of County Meath' He is definitely one of the best drummers in metal. The vocals (also done by Proscripter) are of the typical black metal style, but with variety (a few King Diamond-esque screams are scattered about).

This album is awesome, and it holds your interest throughout the 13 tracks. The standouts for me would have to be 'Pillars of Mercy', 'The Cognate House...' and the epic 'Stone of Destiny' with Prosripter's vocal dramatics truly shining through on this track. The packaging is nothing short of phenomenal. The booklet is 38 pages long, and includes the stories behind every song and even includes a complete dictionary of archaic Celtic language used throughout the album!!! There is even a note from Proscripter saying that actual soil and leaves from the Tara hilltop have been mixed in with the paint used on the booklet! This is without a doubt the most wonderful and comprehensive booklet to ever come with an album.

Bottom line: This is a solid album through and through that should be picked up by everyone into black/thrash metal, or any kind of metal for that matter. You won't be disappointed.

Categorical Ratings Breakdown

Musicianship: 10
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 10
Originality: 9
Overall: 10

Rating: 9.6 out of 10