Review by Benjamin on February 8, 2022.

After two albums of ostensibly symphonic black metal, which Abigor have used as a base for a number of sorties into unpredictable and unusual directions, striking out sometimes at random with seemingly minimal concession to conventional arrangements or accessibility, there is something considerably more streamlined and focussed about their third album, Nachthymnen (From The Twilight Kingdom). As we can see, the band had yet to dispense with the slightly unwieldy album titles, but in many other respects, they successfully rein in some of their wilder instincts, delivering an album that seems deliberately designed to concentrate their many attributes into an iteration of Abigor that is just a fraction easier to grasp and digest, without stifling all of their endearing quirks. In fact, it is exactly the kind of album that a band with the kind of talent, ingenuity and capability to develop that is so innate to Abigor should be producing at this stage of their career, when a simple retread of their previous work would be the surest way to create the disappointment that is the unavoidable consequence of unfulfilled potential.

The biggest new addition to the Abigor sound, as well as the feature of Nachthymnen that serves to differentiate the album from its predecessor, is the frequent utilisation of classic metal harmonies and melodies. This adds both a new and lethal weapon to their armoury, and simultaneously serves to pull the band into the more conventional metal lineage from which they have previously sat somewhat apart. Intricate, interweaving lead guitars have always been an integral part of the Abigor sound, but on Verwüstung and Orkblut, where the guitars come together in unison, the intervals are generally sinister and discordant. However, although Nachthymnen features numerous similar passages in which the guitars lock into the same patterns, they employ instead the kind of harmonies that would not seem out of place on an Iron Maiden or Judas Priest album, triumphant major thirds and fifths in place of tritones and uncomfortable dissonance. Given the band’s sincere commitment to creating a somewhat austere and solemn tribute to man’s baser and more evil impulses, this decision could easily have resulted in a gauche execution that breaks the atmosphere that they work so hard to build, but in fact, these sections are seamlessly integrated into the more frenzied and chaotic guitarwork that is so familiar, and only serve to augment with regal majesty the band’s already potent brew. It’s as if this new facet of the Abigor experience has always existed, but buried beneath layers of dust and detritus in such a way that it had never before been visible. On Nachthymnen, the band have shaken their world, and the motes have settled in a new configuration, revealing for the first time an alternative and awe-inspiring landscape.

We hear this new side of the band from the very first track, although its impact on ‘Unleashed Axe-Age’ is obscured by the way in which the classic metal elements are subordinate firstly to the obligatory and lengthy introduction, and secondly, to the kind of Emperor-meets-Summoning black metal vortex that we have come to expect from Abigor. Even the intro though, despite its relative insignificance in terms of the album as a whole, is evidence of something of a shift in the band’s outlook. Up to this point, Abigor have assiduously created a sound which is part medieval battlefield, and part Tolkien-inspired fantasy realm. The flanging synth effects that commence Nachthymnen though, suggest that in some respects, the band have re-oriented their vision skywards, adding a spacey feel to the mix, which opens up new possibilities for the band that will be more fully explored as their career progresses. For the purposes of this record though, the overall impact is negligible, and still outweighed by the still more frequent use of the European folk melodies which continue to root the band’s sound back into the middle ages. Although the overall thrust of ‘Unleashed Axe-Age’ will seem familiar to a listener that knows the band’s early work in detail, Abigor have taken some steps to simplify the intricate orchestration that occasionally gives their compositions such a disorienting and dizzying feel. T.T.’s drumming is less hyperactive and more restrained, and the almost catchy nature of the main melodic motifs of the track see the band straying much closer to Dimmu Borgir territory than they have ever ventured previously. If this means that Abigor have dialled-down the all-out attack that has made them so unremittingly savage on prior releases, the counterpoint to this is that it renders the more chaotic sections that much more impactful when they do arrive. As we reach the closing parts of the song, however, the riffs transition into something approaching traditional heavy metal, albeit traditional heavy metal in the shadow of a threatening cloud of harsh black metal vocals. And as the clouds dissipate, the song concludes in a blaze of triumphal twin guitar harmonies, dual leads that channel Judas Priest, Metallica and so many other bands that have embraced this timeless metal trope. Not unlike an optical illusion, which resolves itself into a clear image as one stares more closely at it, once we attune ourselves to this aspect of the Abigor sound, we start to hear it everywhere.

It’s there part way through ‘Reborn Through The Gates Of Three Moons’, verging on shades of NWOBHM this time, and it’s definitely there at the conclusion of the album, as utterly victorious sounding classic metal melodies bring ‘A Frozen Soul In A Wintershadow’ to a stunning close, but the subtle use of traditional metal phrasing and tonal choices is an underlying presence throughout the album in a way that it simply has not been before. This is not the only new presence in the band’s sound though, as they explore a number of other avenues, successfully expanding their scope in a way that is entirely in keeping with their overarching aesthetic. A clean female voice is utilised more than once on the album, and brings an increased melodicism to a band that have previously relied almost entirely on the savage, banshee shrieks of Silenius for vocal contributions. They appear first early in the second track ‘Scars In The Landscape Of God’, and together with the gothic melody provided by the instrumentation, creates an undeniably arboreal mood. Of course, this is perhaps a Pavlovian reaction resulting an extensive diet of a large number of atmospheric black metal bands unstinting in their efforts to forge a strong connection between their music and the natural wonders of the forest, a nature untainted by the modernity that so many of these bands so vehemently reject. There may be some truth to this, but equally, there is something in the sonic vastness of much black metal that seems to call, unbidden to the listener’s mind, geographical features that match the scale and permanence of the music, and it is something that Abigor achieve effortlessly across much of their music. Lest anyone be concerned that the band were following in the footsteps of the many bands that discovered clean vocals and goth in the mid-90s though, the pastoral feel is quickly shattered by the intense Marduk / Impaled Nazarene blast that follows, and the juxtaposition of the frostbitten ferocity with the quieter, more tranquil moments that appear with increased frequency on Nachthymnen only serve to heighten the dynamics of the album. The rest of the track maintains the same fearsome level of quality, moving through a superb, almost Borknagar-style acoustic transition, bolstered by (what appears to be synthetic) woodwind lines, before the tracks burns out in a blaze of harmony leads, and the kind of frenetic blackened death metal riffing that shows just how versatile Abigor are. In contrast to some of the slightly clunky arrangements of their earlier albums, despite the bewildering blend of styles and textures that the band are combining, at no point does it sound haphazard or incongruous – instead the band have found an equilibrium that allows them to bring elements to the fore in a fluid and fluent way that shows their development into an elite extreme metal machine.

The most impressive embodiment of the Abigor machine can be found on the magical ‘Revealed Secrets Of The Whispering Moon’. Like a tiger killing its prey on the savanna, some of the best black metal is terrifyingly violent and aggressive, while it simultaneously bewitches the listener with strange, other-worldly beauty. From a fearsome torrent of minor key riffing emerges a staggeringly affecting lead guitar melody, which carries the main theme of the track, supplemented by swathes of sweeping synths, adding lustre and rich depth. The chugging rhythm guitars lend a slightly industrial feel that hasn’t previously been a feature of the Abigor sound, although it will become more prominent later in their career, and the infernal and tumultuous middle section of the track pairs bloodthirsty vocals with churning guitars to great effect. Traversing a mind-boggling amount of ground over the space of only a few minutes, the track is a flawless exhibition of the Austrians’ might, and remains one of the single best songs of their career. The rest of the album is hardly trailing in the track’s wake though. ‘As Astral Images Darken Reality’, another highlight, plays with differing tempos under an unchanging lead guitar figure, showing that the band are as capable of developing a single melodic idea into multiple shapes, as they are simply connecting individual riffs together, and the same track displays a number of other flashes of inspiring ingenuity – combining crunching distortion with strummed acoustics to create interesting textures, for example, as well as indulging their romantic sides in a lilting mid-tempo instrumental section that recalls early Solefald, or even Arcturus.

Nachthymnen (From The Twilight Kingdom) is a scorching exhibition of black metal supremacy, virtually every track overflowing with ideas, many of which are, crucially for the longevity of the record, highly memorable. It is less overtly strange and avant-garde than Abigor’s earlier work, and perhaps this means that they have moved a little closer to the heart of a sub-genre that they previously existed on the exciting periphery of, but the trade-off is that the listener is now presented with a diabolically focussed entity that gets to the point a little more quickly than they once did, and holds us spellbound by their nefarious magic for almost the entire running time. At this point Abigor are adept at pulling the disparate elements of their sound into a single thread which runs through each song, and they are able to switch effortlessly between vicious, misanthropic black metal and more traditional sounds, building a broad metallic foundation on which to build their labyrinthine creations. Naysayers may bemoan the very slightly slicker and accessible version of Abigor that we encounter in 1995, but for this listener, it only serves to accentuate the impact of a magnificent set of songs that continue the upwardly mobile trajectory of a band that are only getting better at this point in their enthralling journey.

Rating: 8.9 out of 10

First published here: alifetimeofmusic.wordpress.com

Review by Felix on December 29, 2019.

Nachthymnen (From the Twilight Kingdom) - such a title sets the bar high for the content. Okay, Abigor had proven their skills two times before and therefore I was ready for their triumphant next strike. I expected nothing less than an album that showed the Scandinavians the next dimension of black metal. This was surely wrong – anyhow, there is still a disturbed relationship between this album and me.

The production is pretty comparable with that of the first outputs. This means it is relatively thin and it spreads the aroma of the underground. For example, the drums still lack vigor and power. This is okay for the output of a newcomer, but I thought Abigor intended to take the next step with a new album. Probably I was wrong again. In view of this situation, it’s only the re-occurring timpani that introduces a remarkable percussive element from time to time. The guitars also do not create a voluminous sound and so it’s almost only the demonic nagging of the lead vocalist that fulfils the expectations.

It’s the connection of this production and the somewhat idiosyncratic, almost avant-garde song-writing that brings the album down. The musicians doubtlessly have a clear vision and they follow it, no matter where they end. Acoustic breaks and (sometimes pretty inadequate) female vocals do not shape the full-length, but they cannot be ignored as well. Not to mention the several tempo changes. Given this more or less experimental approach, Abigor are losing sight of the whole picture. In other words, the enormous artistic ambitions do not result in great tunes. Exceptions like “The Dark Kiss” confirm the norm, but even the album’s best tracks (I don’t want to speak of “highlights”) cannot successfully challenge the outstanding pieces of the first releases. The Austrians also forgot the old rule that the first pieces have to draw the listener into the album. Especially the opener “Unleashed Axe-Age” lacks intensity and dynamic. In contrast, the second half of the album holds more furious parts. Here Abigor pay tribute to the fact that black metal was not invented in order to play overly melodic tunes and maybe that’s the reason why they find a better mix between melody and brutality on tracks like “I Face the Eternal Winter”. By the way, this song really does reflect a quite grim coldness.

In my humble opinion, Nachthymnen (From the Twilight Kingdom) (by the way, is it artwork the black metal answer to Krokus’ “One Vice at a Time”?) was, is and will always be a pretty ambivalent album. Some songs commute between fantastic, dramatic parts and totally ordinary sequences in a matter of seconds. Too many ideas and no coherent concept, as much as I regret it. The talent of the guys is out of doubt, but talent alone is not enough. Given this situation, it comes as no surprise that the magical moments of Verwüstung… and Orkblut… do not re-appear. Nachthymnen…, that much is clear for me, could not keep what its title had promised.

Rating: 6.2 out of 10