Fhinsthanian Nightbreed

This is an album that I have loved since its release day, and I still listen to it now and then, with a couple of tracks always present in my favorite playlists. It is one of those jewels that you'd expect everyone who loves epic extreme metal to have picked up and liked, yet 'Fhinsthanian Nightbreed' remains an obscure album thirteen years later. Holy hell, it's been thirteen years! Why didn't anyone tell me I've grown old?

Suffice to say, if you haven't checked out this album, feel free to do so. I've noticed that comparisons have been made to Cradle Of Filth which kind of surprised me. Not because I feel that's wrong, but because it never occured to me. The vampirism and that gothic feel are, on this album, clearly subservient to the guitars, and those are played with a zeal and technicality you won't hear from Dani & friends. Often, the guitars employ twin harmonies, and with the black metal vocals on top, this makes Abyssos a closer relative of, say, Dissection. I guess the occasional use of keyboards and operatic vocals are part of the reason Abyssos is likened to Cradle Of Filth, but really, these are just spices on top of an otherwise relentless, perfectly Swedish-sounding assault of somewhat progressive, always extreme yet melodic, solid fucking metal.

The production is clear and crisp, and there is a lot of ideas crammed into the songs, though the three first songs aren't as adventurous as the later. Case in point is the fifth song, "Worthless Soul for Sale?" where the band shows its ability to merge creativity with progression, melody with brutality. Another good example of the band's reach is the instrumental "Wherever the Witches Might Fly".

The band wrote some catchy melodies for this one, again reminiscent of Dissection, but Abyssos is actually more aggressive at times, blasting at full speed, just listen to the brilliantly titled "Firebreathing Whore". Or how about the triumphantly epic must-bang-along "Finally I Kissed the Pale Horse" (the title being a roundabout way of saying 'and then I died')? This is soaring music for dark souls. It's not 'Storm of the Light's Bane', but it comes pretty close at times, and for all the vampiric lyricism and keyboards I have never found myself thinking of 'Dusk and Her Embrace' while enjoying this fantastic disc.

When Cacophonous became one of the bigger labels of the mid-90s, Abyssos appeared out of the Swedish woodwork to show that not all Swedish black metal is pure nihilistic speed (ala Dark Funeral, Marduk, Setherial, etc.). Instead, they're lumped with the "dare to be different" black metal Swedes like Vintersorg and Siebenburgen (sound and genre-wise, not music-wise) and give us one hell of a second album.

I can see a few BM purists cringing and claiming "sell-out Cradle worship", though, despite similarities, this can't really be considered "worship". But I guess having vampiric lyrics and imagery, female vocals, keyboards and high-pitched shrieks constitutes CoF worship nowadays. Does that make any other Norwegian bands after 1994 Emperor clones? Or Mayhem worship? What about the other faceless American death metal bands after the late 80s? A scene full of lukewarm Cannibal Corpse wannabes and Morbid Angel followers. Funny how the consensus of underground metallers are quick to quip the same BS they claim to not agree with or hate (isn't the whole point of "underground" NOT listening to or agreeing with what other idiots think? Am I right, kids?).

But meandering thoughts aside, I'm here to speak on behalf of this album which, after it's initial release, the band sadly disappeared off the face of the earth (I guess not getting a big Nuclear Blast or Century Media contract puts a damper on your enthusiasm and self-worth...but then again, check out CM's roster and name me at least 5 decent bands worth noting that isn't a pale reflection of another sh*t band already 5 years old...can't, eh? You're not alone). This is one of the better Crappedoffonus releases in the mid/late 90s, as the album itself is nice, atmospheric, and has moments of extreme heaviness. Say what you will; personal opinions are just that, and nothing more. This band and the album itself puts more vampirism than CoF EVER did (what album was PURELY vampiric, aside from Cruelty and the Beast?), and as good as CoF are/were, they never kept up the atmospheric darkness and lyrical structures.

Now granted, Abyssos isn't the best in the titles/lyrics department ("Finally I Kissed the Pale Horse"?), but since Black Metal vocals are hard to decipher as is, the lyrics are secondary with the music, as they should be. Rehn and his co-hort give us some powerful darkness with music that has a bit of everything in it; a touch of old Cradle of Filth's atmosphere, a bit of Emperor's speed and intensity, many twin guitar tandems ala Children of Bodom and a plethora of other Swedish death metal bands, elongated song structures from the likes of Mystic Circle and Limbonic Art, what have you. Simply put, this is a very good album of pure vampiric escapism. Not the most original or ground breaking, but then again, isn't that the point sometimes? You tell me.