Abyssal - Denouement

I originally posted this on the (sadly now defunct) blog Oculus Infernus.

Greetings, oh esteemed gentlemen! I am The Almighty Deity of the Granary, and today I shall bring to your attention a musical act that plays a form of blackened death metal that is almost Lovecraftian in nature. I have listened to their debut album “Denouement” many times, and every time, the music engenders a feeling of world-shattering fear in me that is too hard to ignore.

The guitars are the centerpiece of this grisly presentation. They are tuned down to unnatural depths and run the gamut from tremolo picking to rapid death metal riffs to slow-paced doom riffs. They exude an atmosphere that is utterly villainous and, dare I say it, abyssal. However, they don't solely weave wicked tapestries. Like a light in the dark, there are times when the guitars display a more melodic flair, such as on the songs 'The Moss Upon Our Ruins' and 'Deus Vult'.

The drums help give the music a much greater, more tangible impact. They bombard you with double bass, blast beats, and intricate fills, but there are other times when they play ominous slow beats that will make you wonder when the storm will rage again, all of which is best exemplified on 'Celestial Dictatorship'.

The element that is the most terrifying would have to be the vocals. They are low and guttural and almost sound like the gurgling of some creature science has yet to classify. Like the horrors of the night, they lurk just behind the darkness the instruments create, mocking you, tormenting you. I dare not wonder what sort of deep, dark chasm this man emerged from.

Abyssal is true to its namesake. They sound like they have emerged from the darkest depths of the Earth to strike fear within us all. Even the album title conjures up an entirely different kind of fear, a fear of the future. “Denouement” is French for “resolution”, and this album speaks of the resolution of the human race. Nowhere is this concept more apparent than the title of the final song, 'Swansong of a Dying Race'.

The strange thing is, despite the terror I have for them, I admire their brilliance, their songwriting, and their instrumental skill. This is only their first album and already I am amazed by the mastery of their craft. If you are an avid collector of the Devil's music, then getting this album should be essential.