Abbath: Dread Reaver

Dread Reaver is the third full length album from ex-Immortal front man and guitarist Abbath.

Whilst Abbath’s fame and notoriety is founded on grim and frost-bitten black metal roots, the music released under the Abbath moniker is something a little different to my ears. Dread Reaver is the 3rd album released under this name and at this stage Abbath has a well embedded sound and style in his post-Immortal works.

Lemmy and Motörhead are referenced at different times throughout the press release for Dread Reaver and it’s not a coincidence because you can’t help but pick up on a Motorhead energy and swagger in Abbath’s post Immortal work. It’s an unlikely melding of styles; high-octane proto-metal and Black Metal, but Abbath pulls it off remarkably well.

This album flows particularly well over the course of the 9 tracks. All of the tracks are in a sweet spot of 4 to 4 and a half minutes in length- they’re short, sharp and get their point across without overstaying their welcome. As a collection of tracks there is enough variation in tempos and melodic approach to keep the album sounding fresh on repeat listens too. Covering Metallica on a studio release is always a brave move, but the song choice and execution of the ‘Trapped Under Ice’ cover is commendable and certainly in keeping with the rest of the album.

As is usual when we’re dealing with a strong album, I find it difficult to single out specific tracks for praise however the ‘bookends’ "Acid Haze" and "Dread Reaver" are certainly very strong.

This album is a really enjoyable listen. It’s not ground-breaking in its approach and it’s not particularly jaw dropping or technical in its delivery, but the song craft is really good and subsequently I find myself really enjoying the album every time I listen to it. A lot of Immortal fans will listen to this album due to the Abbath name, but I get the impression that openminded fans of classic bands like Motorhead, Kiss and Manowar will find equal amounts of enjoyment in the release if they dare give it a go.

Tracklist:
1. Acid Haze (04:51)
2. Scarred Core (03:29)
3. Dream Cull (04:15)
4. Myrmidon (04:33)
5. The Deep Unbound (04:05)
6. Septentrion (04:30)
7. Trapped Under Ice (03:59)
8. The Book of Breath (04:35)
9. Dread Reaver (04:43)

Added: April 24th 2022
Reviewer: Chris Reid
Score:
Related Link: Artists @ Bandcamp
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Language: english

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