The Abyss

The Other Side (Relapse/Nuclear Blast)
by Chaz Thorndike

While many black metal bands try to expose their music to a larger audience, The Abyss go straight for the jugular doing what they do best: Diabolical Scandinavian metal. Thirty minutes of super-high velocity metal with no keyboards. The closest they come to arty is the inclusion of operatic vocals. “Massacra,” written by Mr Warrior while in Hellhammer, is a great cover. It’s brooding rhythm is what we’ve come to expect of T.G., but the tempo runs circles around anything he’s done for Celtic Frost in years. The lyrics aren’t printed. The song titles aren’t in English. The Abyss is an extreme band and wishes to remain faithful to the extremists.