Review by Jeger on July 10, 2024.

The convoluted USBM scene - a movement that has struggled to find an identity outside of the old heads: Xasthur, Judas Iscariot and Nachtmystium. I would throw Inquisition in there but they’re on a level of their own. UADA? Wolves In The Throne Room? Hard pass, although I do hold a soft spot for the former, I’d hardly call what they do true black metal, but this! Just a few minutes into this thing and goosebumps. From out of the frigid Minneapolis / Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA area emerge Grand Demise Of Civilization and with them they’ve brought a little something called “Hell Metal”. Don’t worry it’s black metal… Only of a most profound variety. Real end of days-heralding shit here and set to ensnaring passages fraught with lulling dreamscapes that promise tranquility only to deliver you mercilessly into The Blaze Of Abaddon, released via Ordovician Records on June 4, 2024… 

When you truly bust the brakes off of black metal and dial the intensity and the creativity into the red, you get “hold my beer” records like The Blaze Of Abaddon where nothing is as it seems and everything you thought you knew about black metal goes out the window… Oh yeah, it’s one of those. It’s a fine line to walk when a collective decides to put forth a genuine effort to change the game like this. It still must be black metal and of course the truer the better. Doesn’t have to be crusty attic black metal but the energy must be right. In this case, like the culmination of decades worth of suffering boiling over into a frantic disembowelment-like series of fevered cuts like 'Cathedral Reaper' and 'Silencer' that see the band as they rip through the early 90’s worshipping fabric of the genre, all the while as they weave a much more elaborate sonic tapestry of their own. 

Ever listen to Helfró’s debut self-titled LP? Great stuff, complex and overwhelmingly dynamic. You’ll get those vibes here, but this thing is a much more elaborate production. Fucking nightmare fuel pumping along with all that cortisol sheer horror, but the suspense ride comes to a halt midway through as you absorb the awe-inspiring intro to 'Nephilm'. These are the kinds of arrangements that only elite musicians are capable of, and the entire record feels almost like some sort of grand theatrical black metal production or like the most badass black metal supergroup you could possibly put together recorded it. And still radiating all that evil energy just the way black metal is supposed to. 

Not much in the way of competition against this bunch. Wouldn’t want them opening for my band… Hate to have to try to follow this up. Jesus fuck this is a ride! It’s like if Dominator and Ihsahn put together a band. It’s like Nordjevel crossed with Hate Forest in this, a tour-de-force black metal LP that unabashedly delivers the brutality along with all the traditional fiendish evil vibes. Great name for a band, great album and even the cover art just screams “this could be exactly what you’ve been looking for in a black metal album all these years…” Okay, a lot of black metal album covers do that, but the point I’m trying to make is that The Blaze Of Abaddon is just choice nugget from top to bottom and a welcomed breath of fresh air for an as-of-late all over the place USBM scene. 

Rating: 9 out of 10