Whilst Los Angeles’ Ashen Horde may have favoured a more Northern European tint their Black Metal sound, members of that band have gone on to form Abhoria. On Depths (Prosthetic Records) they continue to uphold their legacy of legitimacy seamlessly. This means they can create an authentic mood to translate this sound tangibly, however, there still is the question… can you write a song?

In some ways, they pick up where they left off, though their sophomore release finds Ben Pitts from In the Company of Serpents taking over vocals and to answer the previously pondered question, on Depths, Abhoria show themselves capable of winding their riffs around to create more of a throb than than the type of blast-fest black metal can default to in less capable hands.

Pitts croaks with articulate depression on “The Inexorable Earth”, and there is a nuanced creepiness to “The Well” – Pitts’ delivery is fitting for it as the lyrics stand out more. These guys are known for having a dystopian theme, making them even more relevant in today’s world. “Within Our Dominion” gets off to a more deliberate start, but once they gather speed, the riffs coagulate: they have a cool collection of riffs, but the dystopian narrative becomes obscured in the arrangement.

“They Hunt at Night” blasts by in a furious blur. The vocals shift from a lower growl to a higher more anguished black metal one. It sounds great in terms of execution and production, but there are moments when speed plays against them. “Devour” feels creepier at the onset, allowing the chords to breathe in a way that invokes the most darkness and when things accelerate past the point of creepy it tends to feel like everything else.

“The Foundling” works better on some of the more death metal-like stomping moments. “Ghost in Smoke” carries more purpose, and the tremolo-picked guitar is no less rapid-fire but touches on more melody, and “Winter’s Embrace” carries a more triumphant gallop with which to end the album.

There is no question that these guys are skilled at what they do, though that is a sound that occupies a very particular sonic space and rarely ventures from it. They do get credit for making black metal that sounds great while not trying to be too kvlt for its own good.

Fans of straightforward black metal that does not overly indulge in taking creative liberties and just sardonic rage will find their needs met with this album and Abhoria are at their most effective when balancing this with inner darkness. After all, at the end of the day, Black Metal is a misanthropic celebration of darkness.

Buy the album here:
https://abhoria.bandcamp.com/album/depths

7 / 10
WIL CIFER