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ABYSSUS “The Reign”
ABYSSUS “The Reign”
By Dr. Abner Mality
Pretty sure I’ve covered this Greek band before, but I deal with such a mass of releases…more than a few with “Abyss” in their name…that I can’t be sure. One thing I can say is that if you’re looking for a nice quick jolt of old school death metal, you could do a heck of a lot worse than this.
This is a painless sprint through elder lands where MASSACRE, BOLT THROWER and early DEATH still hold sway. The band is smart enough not to overdo things, as most songs run under 4 minutes and the album seems to pass by in a flash even if it is pretty familiar stuff. Nothing’s worse than getting weighted down by a band that doesn’t know when to quit. ABYSSUS has got a good handle on pacing.
Speaking of pace, most songs blow by at a pretty brisk rate. “At Any Cost” and “The Path I Chose” are great examples of snappy old death metal with strong hooks and gruesome vocals. Singer Konstantinos Analytis has an extremely pained and forceful sound, like he is dealing with the world's worst case of constipation. That sounds goofy, but this kind of agonized grunt adds additional force to an already pounding assault.
The band does wrap things up with a longer, slower tune, “Trapped In Purgatory”, where traces of BOLT THROWER can be detected. At just a tad over seven minutes, it again shows ABYSSUS’ knack for timing things correctly. “The Reign” contains nothing an experienced death metal fan hasn’t heard before…many times…but it’s delivered with maximum efficiency and a crisp sound.
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