Review by Adam M on May 24, 2018.

The music that Ihsahn performs is full of variety and vitality.  Amr gets off to a great start with songs like Sámr and continues on a nice path.  There is a large variety of emotions that come to the forefront on this disc.  The band can be scathing, but at other times they are an altogether more gentle beast. 

The singing on the album also alternates between harsher and more gentle moments to form a solid springboard for the rest of the performances.  Instrumentally, guitars are solid and form the backdrop nicely for the rest of the material.  They have a sweeping aura to them that is wonderful to behold.  This isn’t really different instrumentally from past Ihsahn discs, however, and makes for more of the same.  Alternatively, there seemed to be unexplored territory to venture to on Arktis.  On here it seems like most of the avenues have been explored to their fullest potential.  Don’t get me wrong, this is still a very interesting album, it’s just that the Ihsahn material is starting to sound a bit samey at times.  The songs sound sort of electronic in nature, but they are definitely more normal sounding that the disappointing Das Seelenbrechen album.  Although the album is good, it is far from the level that Ihsahn achieved on Eremita and After.  This is somewhat disappointing that he can’t match his best anymore and is able to only put out solid albums. 

Still, with the lack of bands that sound like Ihsahn, it’s nice to get new material from him whenever we can.  Hopefully, he can venture into his progressive bag of tricks and make something altogether more compelling the next time around.  The amount of quality material that Ihsahn has on offer now surpasses his material from the band Emperor, however.

Rating: 7.6 out of 10

Review by Adam M on May 24, 2018.

The music that Ihsahn performs is full of variety and vitality.  Amr gets off to a great start with songs like Sámr and continues on a nice path.  There is a large variety of emotions that come to the forefront on this disc.  The band can be scathing, but at other times they are an altogether more gentle beast. 

The singing on the album also alternates between harsher and more gentle moments to form a solid springboard for the rest of the performances.  Instrumentally, guitars are solid and form the backdrop nicely for the rest of the material.  They have a sweeping aura to them that is wonderful to behold.  This isn’t really different instrumentally from past Ihsahn discs, however, and makes for more of the same.  Alternatively, there seemed to be unexplored territory to venture to on Arktis.  On here it seems like most of the avenues have been explored to their fullest potential.  Don’t get me wrong, this is still a very interesting album, it’s just that the Ihsahn material is starting to sound a bit samey at times.  The songs sound sort of electronic in nature, but they are definitely more normal sounding that the disappointing Das Seelenbrechen album.  Although the album is good, it is far from the level that Ihsahn achieved on Eremita and After.  This is somewhat disappointing that he can’t match his best anymore and is able to only put out solid albums. 

Still, with the lack of bands that sound like Ihsahn, it’s nice to get new material from him whenever we can.  Hopefully, he can venture into his progressive bag of tricks and make something altogether more compelling the next time around.  The amount of quality material that Ihsahn has on offer now surpasses his material from the band Emperor, however.

Rating: 7.6 out of 10

Review by Adam M on May 24, 2018.

The music that Ihsahn performs is full of variety and vitality.  Amr gets off to a great start with songs like Sámr and continues on a nice path.  There is a large variety of emotions that come to the forefront on this disc.  The band can be scathing, but at other times they are an altogether more gentle beast. 

The singing on the album also alternates between harsher and more gentle moments to form a solid springboard for the rest of the performances.  Instrumentally, guitars are solid and form the backdrop nicely for the rest of the material.  They have a sweeping aura to them that is wonderful to behold.  This isn’t really different instrumentally from past Ihsahn discs, however, and makes for more of the same.  Alternatively, there seemed to be unexplored territory to venture to on Arktis.  On here it seems like most of the avenues have been explored to their fullest potential.  Don’t get me wrong, this is still a very interesting album, it’s just that the Ihsahn material is starting to sound a bit samey at times.  The songs sound sort of electronic in nature, but they are definitely more normal sounding that the disappointing Das Seelenbrechen album.  Although the album is good, it is far from the level that Ihsahn achieved on Eremita and After.  This is somewhat disappointing that he can’t match his best anymore and is able to only put out solid albums. 

Still, with the lack of bands that sound like Ihsahn, it’s nice to get new material from him whenever we can.  Hopefully, he can venture into his progressive bag of tricks and make something altogether more compelling the next time around.  The amount of quality material that Ihsahn has on offer now surpasses his material from the band Emperor, however.

Rating: 7.6 out of 10

Review by Alex on January 23, 2019.

Kåabalh, with their debut full-length album aptly self-titled, takes death metal from its earliest days and refines it with a modern sound all the while keeping the identity of the genre intact. Veterans listeners have heard this type of style a million times over; however, with Kåabalh you get that and a supplementation of black metal and doom metal. The genres are attentively represented by atmospheric guitar tones (in the form of tremolo picking), laden-footed drumming to lay down the foundation for crushing doom and peeping molecules of technical riffs, all done to the addictive tone of the HM-2 pedal. The guitar solos whenever introduced add a flare of elegant grooves that match the flow of the leading riffs, thus aiding the foundation of each song-structure. The vocalist is at work here, his drive to stretch his growling technique as can be heard on "Acheron" brings to mind the likes of Antti Kotiranta on Remnants of Expansion and Mike Erdody on Lords of Death. What really makes each song stand out is the thoughtful manner in which every passage is being handled. With the guitar work exhibiting tip-top levels of competency in terms of technicality, such that when the doom laden grooves appear, the appendix is used as an expanding agent in adding a touch of depth to its assembly.

With songs the likes of Dark Wrath of a New God and Death's Ovation (seemingly the best offerings on Kåabalh) displaying higher levels of assertiveness; the listener gets the impression that Kåabalh is beginning to vaunt their song-writing abilities. This is something I welcome with elation, given this is Kåabalh's debut, and the fact that most bands tend to walk a linear path on their first musical piece, unless it's an avant-garde project. The riffing goes from hulking soundscapes painted, to groovy head-banging passages; then with the flick of the fingers, quick and technical guitar solos that are indeed memorably appealing bounce from the strings into the mind of the listener/s.

Vocally every note is enunciated with a piercing impact and depth that challenges some of the best current growlers of the genre. The stamina built-up and maintained through the entirety of Kåabalh is marvelous, and possessing the first name Damien I would have expected nothing less from this individual. The growls are pivoting and his snarls land harshly, he manipulates the energy in such a way that it can be wholeheartedly felt by the listener.

Matching the devastating vocal ability showcased on Kåabalh, is the drumming, which creates an everlasting imprint of patience, precision and conviction. This performance was ideal and acted as an ushering force the way it remained active in the listener's mind from the start to ending of Kåabalh. Convincingly and steadily playing along with every musical change occurring, much is owed to the drummer for his tempered yet pulverizing approach that is almost mentor-esque.

What really helped the musicianship to shine is the production on Kåabalh. The pitch of each instrument and vocal barked can be heard with the appropriate level of quality, to ensure that there is a high replay factor attached to the record. I hope to hear more from Kåabalh, this recording went unnoticed by many, due to the numerous outstanding releases surrounding it.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Alex on January 23, 2019.

Kåabalh, with their debut full-length album aptly self-titled, takes death metal from its earliest days and refines it with a modern sound all the while keeping the identity of the genre intact. Veterans listeners have heard this type of style a million times over; however, with Kåabalh you get that and a supplementation of black metal and doom metal. The genres are attentively represented by atmospheric guitar tones (in the form of tremolo picking), laden-footed drumming to lay down the foundation for crushing doom and peeping molecules of technical riffs, all done to the addictive tone of the HM-2 pedal. The guitar solos whenever introduced add a flare of elegant grooves that match the flow of the leading riffs, thus aiding the foundation of each song-structure. The vocalist is at work here, his drive to stretch his growling technique as can be heard on "Acheron" brings to mind the likes of Antti Kotiranta on Remnants of Expansion and Mike Erdody on Lords of Death. What really makes each song stand out is the thoughtful manner in which every passage is being handled. With the guitar work exhibiting tip-top levels of competency in terms of technicality, such that when the doom laden grooves appear, the appendix is used as an expanding agent in adding a touch of depth to its assembly.

With songs the likes of Dark Wrath of a New God and Death's Ovation (seemingly the best offerings on Kåabalh) displaying higher levels of assertiveness; the listener gets the impression that Kåabalh is beginning to vaunt their song-writing abilities. This is something I welcome with elation, given this is Kåabalh's debut, and the fact that most bands tend to walk a linear path on their first musical piece, unless it's an avant-garde project. The riffing goes from hulking soundscapes painted, to groovy head-banging passages; then with the flick of the fingers, quick and technical guitar solos that are indeed memorably appealing bounce from the strings into the mind of the listener/s.

Vocally every note is enunciated with a piercing impact and depth that challenges some of the best current growlers of the genre. The stamina built-up and maintained through the entirety of Kåabalh is marvelous, and possessing the first name Damien I would have expected nothing less from this individual. The growls are pivoting and his snarls land harshly, he manipulates the energy in such a way that it can be wholeheartedly felt by the listener.

Matching the devastating vocal ability showcased on Kåabalh, is the drumming, which creates an everlasting imprint of patience, precision and conviction. This performance was ideal and acted as an ushering force the way it remained active in the listener's mind from the start to ending of Kåabalh. Convincingly and steadily playing along with every musical change occurring, much is owed to the drummer for his tempered yet pulverizing approach that is almost mentor-esque.

What really helped the musicianship to shine is the production on Kåabalh. The pitch of each instrument and vocal barked can be heard with the appropriate level of quality, to ensure that there is a high replay factor attached to the record. I hope to hear more from Kåabalh, this recording went unnoticed by many, due to the numerous outstanding releases surrounding it.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Alex on January 23, 2019.

Kåabalh, with their debut full-length album aptly self-titled, takes death metal from its earliest days and refines it with a modern sound all the while keeping the identity of the genre intact. Veterans listeners have heard this type of style a million times over; however, with Kåabalh you get that and a supplementation of black metal and doom metal. The genres are attentively represented by atmospheric guitar tones (in the form of tremolo picking), laden-footed drumming to lay down the foundation for crushing doom and peeping molecules of technical riffs, all done to the addictive tone of the HM-2 pedal. The guitar solos whenever introduced add a flare of elegant grooves that match the flow of the leading riffs, thus aiding the foundation of each song-structure. The vocalist is at work here, his drive to stretch his growling technique as can be heard on "Acheron" brings to mind the likes of Antti Kotiranta on Remnants of Expansion and Mike Erdody on Lords of Death. What really makes each song stand out is the thoughtful manner in which every passage is being handled. With the guitar work exhibiting tip-top levels of competency in terms of technicality, such that when the doom laden grooves appear, the appendix is used as an expanding agent in adding a touch of depth to its assembly.

With songs the likes of Dark Wrath of a New God and Death's Ovation (seemingly the best offerings on Kåabalh) displaying higher levels of assertiveness; the listener gets the impression that Kåabalh is beginning to vaunt their song-writing abilities. This is something I welcome with elation, given this is Kåabalh's debut, and the fact that most bands tend to walk a linear path on their first musical piece, unless it's an avant-garde project. The riffing goes from hulking soundscapes painted, to groovy head-banging passages; then with the flick of the fingers, quick and technical guitar solos that are indeed memorably appealing bounce from the strings into the mind of the listener/s.

Vocally every note is enunciated with a piercing impact and depth that challenges some of the best current growlers of the genre. The stamina built-up and maintained through the entirety of Kåabalh is marvelous, and possessing the first name Damien I would have expected nothing less from this individual. The growls are pivoting and his snarls land harshly, he manipulates the energy in such a way that it can be wholeheartedly felt by the listener.

Matching the devastating vocal ability showcased on Kåabalh, is the drumming, which creates an everlasting imprint of patience, precision and conviction. This performance was ideal and acted as an ushering force the way it remained active in the listener's mind from the start to ending of Kåabalh. Convincingly and steadily playing along with every musical change occurring, much is owed to the drummer for his tempered yet pulverizing approach that is almost mentor-esque.

What really helped the musicianship to shine is the production on Kåabalh. The pitch of each instrument and vocal barked can be heard with the appropriate level of quality, to ensure that there is a high replay factor attached to the record. I hope to hear more from Kåabalh, this recording went unnoticed by many, due to the numerous outstanding releases surrounding it.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Alex on January 23, 2019.

Kåabalh, with their debut full-length album aptly self-titled, takes death metal from its earliest days and refines it with a modern sound all the while keeping the identity of the genre intact. Veterans listeners have heard this type of style a million times over; however, with Kåabalh you get that and a supplementation of black metal and doom metal. The genres are attentively represented by atmospheric guitar tones (in the form of tremolo picking), laden-footed drumming to lay down the foundation for crushing doom and peeping molecules of technical riffs, all done to the addictive tone of the HM-2 pedal. The guitar solos whenever introduced add a flare of elegant grooves that match the flow of the leading riffs, thus aiding the foundation of each song-structure. The vocalist is at work here, his drive to stretch his growling technique as can be heard on "Acheron" brings to mind the likes of Antti Kotiranta on Remnants of Expansion and Mike Erdody on Lords of Death. What really makes each song stand out is the thoughtful manner in which every passage is being handled. With the guitar work exhibiting tip-top levels of competency in terms of technicality, such that when the doom laden grooves appear, the appendix is used as an expanding agent in adding a touch of depth to its assembly.

With songs the likes of Dark Wrath of a New God and Death's Ovation (seemingly the best offerings on Kåabalh) displaying higher levels of assertiveness; the listener gets the impression that Kåabalh is beginning to vaunt their song-writing abilities. This is something I welcome with elation, given this is Kåabalh's debut, and the fact that most bands tend to walk a linear path on their first musical piece, unless it's an avant-garde project. The riffing goes from hulking soundscapes painted, to groovy head-banging passages; then with the flick of the fingers, quick and technical guitar solos that are indeed memorably appealing bounce from the strings into the mind of the listener/s.

Vocally every note is enunciated with a piercing impact and depth that challenges some of the best current growlers of the genre. The stamina built-up and maintained through the entirety of Kåabalh is marvelous, and possessing the first name Damien I would have expected nothing less from this individual. The growls are pivoting and his snarls land harshly, he manipulates the energy in such a way that it can be wholeheartedly felt by the listener.

Matching the devastating vocal ability showcased on Kåabalh, is the drumming, which creates an everlasting imprint of patience, precision and conviction. This performance was ideal and acted as an ushering force the way it remained active in the listener's mind from the start to ending of Kåabalh. Convincingly and steadily playing along with every musical change occurring, much is owed to the drummer for his tempered yet pulverizing approach that is almost mentor-esque.

What really helped the musicianship to shine is the production on Kåabalh. The pitch of each instrument and vocal barked can be heard with the appropriate level of quality, to ensure that there is a high replay factor attached to the record. I hope to hear more from Kåabalh, this recording went unnoticed by many, due to the numerous outstanding releases surrounding it.

Rating: 8 out of 10