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Abigor > Leytmotif Luzifer (The 7 Temptations of Man) > Reviews
Abigor - Leytmotif Luzifer (The 7 Temptations of Man)

Demon From The Machine - 83%

Fearmeister, December 26th, 2015

When Abigor got back together in 2006, many people were really happy, the happiness quickly turning to dismay when they released Fractal Possession in 2007. This album was a vast departure from the atmospheric black metal sound that they were known for, which they have abandoned for a more clinical and avant-garde form of black metal. 2010 brought about even more despair as Abigor seemed set on exploring this style of music. So let it be said that 2014 is finally a return to form for Abigor! Sort of.

You see, what Abigor did with Leytmotif Luzifer is combine their two distinct sounds into one beast, a mixture of the earlier, traditional black metal atmosphere that you can find in albums such as Quintessence, and the more clinical and unpredictable black metal riffing that you would find in Fractal Possession and Time Is the Sulphur. Now to some purists this might still be a terrible thing to behold, but for one who enjoys both styles that Abigor has gifted us, this album is just another in a long list of successes.

But does this mixture work? Abso-fucking-lutely. This album is a whirlwind, taking you to an occult ritual with a demon towering over all, only to have the flesh slough off to reveal the inner workings of a vile machine. Songs such as "Stasis" and "Neglect" really show off the power of this combination, as the music pounds you in the way that only black metal could, with the sexy clinical tremolo picking in the forefront and occult monks' chants in the background. This album is a wild ride from the first second to the last.

If you are just getting into Abigor, this is a perfect place to start. If you used to love the band but hated the reunion albums for being 'un-Abigor' - depending on the depth of the penetration - try pulling that stick out of your ass and you might find it within yourself to enjoy this. This is not the best of Abigor, but this album proves that they are someone to remain excited about. And who knows, they might release an even bigger monster in the future.

Satanic manifestation of chaos. - 71%

ConorFynes, April 1st, 2015

Considering how primal and ‘anti-art’ much of the second wave of black metal purported themselves to be, it is halfway ironic—though entirely welcome—that so many of the bands have since expanded their grasp to encompass experimental and avant-garde territory. Austria’s Abigor was founded in 1993 as a relative mirror of their Norwegian contemporaries’ approach and atmosphere, but nine full-lengths have witnessed an evolution in favour of bleak abstraction. Like Deathspell Omega, Abigor use their strangest elements to amplify the spiritual warfare and malevolence held sacred by genre-traditionalists.

I have been a moderate fan of Abigor’s work since 2010 when they released the impressive Time Is the Sulphur in the Veins of the Saint. In the years since, I’ve gotten around to hearing most of their work. While I’ve found most of their back catalog enjoyable (with particular accolades going to the above-mentioned Sulphur, abstract masterpiece Fractal Possession and their classic Nachthymnen), I have always had the impression that Abigor aren't quite as consistently masterful as the bands they’re often compared with. In the case of Leytmotif Luzifer, the chaotic aggression, spastic leads, and ‘orthodox’ spirituality peg them firmly within the neighbourhood of the aforementioned Deathspell Omega. It is worthy of some praise that Abigor have unleashed their most hectic album to date, but they seem to lack something that Deathspell Omega had plenty of: a means of refreshing the effect of their extremity through consistent and dynamic composition.

It is not my intention to imply that Leytmotif Luzifer was in any way hurried or thoughtless when it came to its songwriting. Black metal as complex and harried as this never blooms without some numberless amount of attention given to it. Each minute of the album rushes past in a surge; the faux-chorus of growled vocals alone seem to play the part of an unruly mob; an impression of chaos—in this context only—comes from strict order on the band’s part. The guitars are fast and biting, and sometimes bolstered with symphonic undertones. Leytmotif Luzifer is replete with quick burst-fire solos that emerge in virtually every track, exactly alike in tone and context to the leads of Deathspell Omega’s own Fas — Ite, Maledict, in Ignem Aeternum. It’s clear where Abigor have taken some of their inspiration from; they employ chaotic energy to generally admirable effect, but for music that has taken such great lengths to appear avant-garde, Leytmotif Luzifer sounds a little too familiar for its own good.

Abigor have charged with such speed and aggression here that it takes several listens to make any sense of it. That feeling of being out-of-control as a listener is part of what can make this chaotic branch of black metal work so well. The band’s folly with Leytmotif Luzifer is that they have continued this assault without relent; there is no respite nor sense of contrast to give weight to the amorphous aggression that runs throughout the album’s length. Abigor’s dedication to chaos and most forms of extremity work against their own effect. It is not long before the listener grows accustomed to the same guitar patterns and sporadic leads; as any addict will tell you, it’s not long before a tolerance builds up. It is such that it actually feels like a revelation on ‘Temptation V: Neglect’ when Abigor tone down the chaos for the sake of a quasi-Gregorian vocal hook: “We praise thee!”.

Even when it seems to be an expected prerequisite to have at least a mild fluency in Latin and/or Greek to make a ‘serious’ anti-Christian statement in black metal, it should be said that Abigor yet stand apart from any of their peers when it comes to their lyrical exploration. Leytmotif Luzifer is not, perhaps, the epitome intellectually and challenging manifestos; it is nonetheless difficult and rare for a band to write Satanic lyrics that feel sincerely religious. Indeed, Leytmotif Luzifer reads like it was drawn from the pen-hand of a genuine fanatic. It is a shame that the music rarely evokes the same feeling of authentic spiritual evocation.

Although Abigor have never swayed from their mission of Satanic predication, their grasp of the subject has evolved just as much as the music; as per the best of their contemporaries, they pursue their worship with a poetic depth and conviction that matches the scriptures of those who profess other, considerably more mainstream theologies… Leytmotif Luzifer is nowhere near as cutting-edge, nor quite as inventive as it first sounds, but Abigor’s latest packs enough of a swirling punch to satisfy most of those who deem themselves fans of this twisted end of the black metal spectrum.


Originally written for Heathen Harvest Periodical

A Cathedral of Words and Tones - 96%

Apteronotus, February 1st, 2015

Abigor’s “Leytmotif Luzifer” is a sprawling and ornate cathedral of riffs, dedicated to worshiping the glory of Lucifer. Energetic and passionate by any standard, this album dispels all notions that these characteristic are only in young bands, especially considering the fact that Abigor’s pedigree stretches over twenty years. The guitars, which have been refined and mastered through those years of experience, are the powerful centerpoint of the album. Solos and quick melodic flourishes are peppered into the songs with such elegance that it’s obvious that guitarists P.K. and T.T. play their instruments as naturally as other musicians breath. As a result, the composition is wonderfully free flowing and natural. Every riff and every solo is filled with momentum rather than serving to aggrandize the musician’s egos. Throughout “Leytmotif Luzifer,” that momentum conveys a mood of genuine and regal adoration. Thankfully the casual expertise of the guitars also introduce a kind of playfulness to the album that keeps it from becoming comically serious.

For those unfamiliar with the band, Abigor’s main riffing style uses expanses of tremolo picked notes building off of shifting chord progressions to create a layered melody. In the most general terms possible, think of Emperor. On “Leytmotif Luzifer,” though this often includes bursts of high note runs, mini-solos that guide the songs from one riff to the next much like a drum fill. Overall, this makes for a more vicious album than Abigor’s “Natchymnen.” While the band’s characteristic guitar counterpoint is still at play, the mix is now so well rounded that the band feels comfortable occasionally leaving the rhythm entirely in the hands of the bass. Structurally, the songs are strongly linear. Although there is less repetition, each track maintains a coherent narrative - balancing the sleazy, casual, and aristocratic hedonism with the fanatic and reverent adoration of Lucifer. This balance is vital because at one extreme the album would be a stuffy sermon (about a minor character from an ancient fantasy novel) and at the other a bacchanalia. With the album’s subtitle “The VII Temptations of Man” and song titles like “Excessus” and “Indulgence” it almost invites a Marquis de Sade comparison.

Putting the dazzling guitars aside for a moment, every other instrument is stunning. It’s also worth noting how a fair share of the album’s palatial grandeur comes from the vivid and dynamic vocals. Since this happens most spectacularly with the clean vocals in the fantastic climax at the end of “Excessus,” it’s possible to gloss over entire album’s vocal variety. Take “Indulgence” for example starting with the clean line “So let me rise” and how the abrasive background howls reinforce the line before savagely entering the foreground. That style itself is a prelude to double tracked gurgles that are then followed by the standard black metal fare. Incredibly, all of that variation is still secondary to the guitar’s narrative. In the same vein, the drumming and bass are top notch and vary in intensity to match album’s flow but the real focal point is in the guitars. P.K. and T.T. apparently shared bass duty, and with T.T. also handling the drums, you end up with the liberated direction and purpose of a solo project while still having the complete sound of a full band.

Returning to the guitar’s casual precision, you can hear this in the deliberately muted lead notes, feedback, free time notes, and numerous pick scrapes. If it weren’t for the rigid precision elsewhere, these things would appear sloppy, but instead it’s like watching a 250kg tiger play with its kill before eating it. Relaxed in the way only a seasoned predator can accomplish. Again, this all well balanced against the noble atmosphere that it helps to complement. Abigor’s movement along this axis is a major source for the album’s impetus, but not the most important. When building off of the chord progressions, the lead melody has a habit of feeling like it was interpolated between the existing notes while simultaneously also paradoxically deciding the following notes. The amount of energy behind this is incredible, placing the album at the same intensity level as you might ask for from bands like 1349 or Marduk but without falling into the constant blasting trap or “norsecore” label.

“Leytmotif Luzifer” is instantly enjoyable and still extremely replayable. At around 42 minutes, the album wastes no time, and even with the linear song structures has no shortage of intriguing ideas. A good benchmark for how well crafted the album’s architecture are its last handful of minutes. “Excessus’” ending is a microcosm for the entire album and perfect (yes perfect) way to end an album. At about halfway through the 11 minute song you start to get a real sense of approaching finality. Keep in mind that even in the context of a few start-stop moments, that the multi-layered explosion of sound at around 5:30 ecstatically begins wrapping things up. Now, while other bands would cheaply milk that moment, Abigor moves on immediately while still ringing out lead notes to carefully remind you of what they just did. At about 8 minutes in the clean vocals again rise in prominence without resolving the melody; that is until the soaring vocals a half minute later “All earth does worship thee!” the album’s climax. Cue the majestic slow down, fake ending, and subtle reprisal. Wow. Beautifully heavy and conclusive without any hint of melodrama.

This is what architecture sounds like, and “Leytmotif Luzifer” is a palace.

Originally written for Contaminated Tones.

Black metal goes to space - 90%

Twin_guitar_attack, September 15th, 2014

It seems that the popularity of Austrian black metal institution Abigor has fallen by the wayside in recent years. Despite being a force to be reckoned with in the early 1990’s, and having released 8 full lengths prior to the new release Leytmotif Luzifer over their 21 year existence, interest in them seems to have waned so inexplicably that I wasn’t aware they had even released something new until nearly six weeks after it’s release date. How Abigor have reached such a low ebb of popularity at this stage is unbeknown to this reviewer, as the new release is every bit as great as what they’ve done before. It’s a twisted chaotic record taking you down strange avenues with avant-garde playing and psychedelic elements while still rooted firmly in the black metal sound, and is yet another great effort from Abigor.

The album is filled with so much creativity, especially in the guitars used to create such a vivid spacy effect with a fantastic guitar tone and twisted playing to forge a great psychedelic atmosphere. Some of the twisted guitar lines on Stasis take the technical playing of Emperor on With Strength I burn filtered through a psychedelic haze invoking images of twisted Lovecraftian monsters and non euclidean dimensions, and it’s an inspired performance – not just here but throughout the album. The band’s use of multi-tracking the guitars is great, enabling them to dish out furious tremolo picked black metal riffs while unleashing technical leads with a great psychedelic guitar tone over the top. Add furious blast beats, a thick meaty bass tone and gravelly evil rasps and their traditional black metal sound is intact and powerful as ever. But in the slower sections, with waves of spacey guitar effects and picked discordant chord patterns such as in the middle of Akrasia, you can find what makes their music so great – it’s the unique experimental edge they bring to black metal while never once relenting on the evil atmosphere and heavy sound that the genre is known for.

Brilliant pacing between sections of blasting black metal, psychedelic shredded avant-garde fury and discordant unsettling chord patterns makes it an interesting release throughout, and not only does it make the songs flow brilliantly, but it also means the album flows well from start to finish, it feels like a complete whole, a proper album with no filler or any track which sounds out of place.

Neglect is great from start to finish, from the lovely melodic riffs that herald the start of the track that are enshrined by great rhythmic drumming and cocooned in a deep expansive bass riff and psychedelic effects. The devilish chants that interchange spectacularly with those gravelly screams are great, while that mid paced riff in the middle just reeks of the dirty influence of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas era Mayhem. It’s a cliché to say it about a great track but it really does seem to end too quickly, but then it transitions beautifully into a track that’s even more impressive in Compos Mentis. From that huge guitar tone on the melancholy opening riff through to the slow stomping section, it’s impressive throughout, especially in the vocal department. Summoning’s Silenius provides the vocals throughout the album, but here the job he does is spectacular, moving from Atilla like croaks and howls to furious earthy bellows, eschewing the aforementioned raspy screams in favour of a more impressive approach. The atmosphere of the music takes on an epic approach with frantic sweeping psychedelic guitars and erratic blast beats and it’s the highlight of the whole album. Ending on an eleven minute opus aptly titled Excessus they just manage to create another great piece of music that takes every aspect of the album and combines it into one incredibly well written song. Evil, chaotic, spacey, and above all exciting, it ends a great album on a particular high.

Black metal takes a journey to space in Leytmotif Luzifer and therein is unleashed the psychedelic horrors which dwell in the realms of Lovecraft, Alien and Hell itself in a nightmarish, breathtaking trip. Abigor are not only still delivering great music against the tide of indifference, but what they’re doing remains vibrant, unique and engrossing. It’s an album that few fans could deny is another great addition to the discography of a fantastic cult band.

Originally written for swirlsofnoise.com

Yeah...this is how it's done! - 95%

mjollnir, September 14th, 2014

Austria's Abigor is a band that is most well known for it's mid 90s output. Their first two albums are lauded by the metal community as black metal classics. It's also the band that contained Silenius of Summoning fame. It seems the band ended in 2003 only to be brought back to life in 2006. Their newest and tenth full length album, Leytmotif Luzifer, brings the band full circle as the vocals on this album are provided by original vocalist Silenius, although he is only listed as a session member and is not back in the fold. This album shows is a more mature band but with a renewed energy and aggression. The album's subtitle is The 7 Temptations of Man and each song is titled after each temptation. So with the album title, subtitle, and vocals provided by Silenius, expectations are high. Well let me tell you that you won't be disappointed.

Let me tell you straight up that there are no synths, electronics or other influences at play here. This is pure black metal at it's finest. The album opener, "Temptation I - Ego" slays from the start with some serious guitar work and evil as fuck vocals. the riffs here go from thrashers to tremolos. The layered guitar sound is a staple for this band and is one of the things that makes this a return to form for this band. The tempo is a mixture of blast beats and pummeling double bass speed. There is an evil chaotic part in the middle that just gives this album such an atmosphere. There are so many layers to this band as you have this pummeling first song, then you have a darker and more sinister track "Temptation II - Stasis." This song slows it down a bit but does not let up on the aggression and sounds so fucking evil. There is some killer soloing going on in here as well as some evil sounding vocal chants in the background. This song is all over the place without being the least bit incoherent. Instead it shows the band's creativity on this album.

"Temptation IV - Indulgence" is pure evil through and through. This song has so many elements that make this one of the standouts. Although not as fast and aggressive as some of the others, it has this slow eerie sound that invokes sinister feelings. There are deep clean vocal chants and some strange guitar sounds and riffs. But it also has some melodic parts in the middle of the song. It speeds up towards the end adding yet another layer to the song. Then you have "Temptation V - Neglect" which is a classic black metal song if I ever heard it. Speedy and loaded with tremolo riffing this song is has some of the most eerie vocals I've ever heard in a metal release. The deep cleans show up again on this song but, for me, the guitars are the stars of this song. The riffing and the leads are just in your face and the tremolos add melody to this song making this a great example of how to mix aggression and melody into a song and make it sound believable.

The greatest temptation on this album is the final one, "Temptation VII - Excessus." This is an eleven minute epic that could be one of the best songs this band has ever done. It begins with such an evil sound with the vocals sounding like they are coming from the fiery pits of Hell. It starts a bit slower then speeds up with the tremolos added to give it more atmosphere as well as a bit of melody. It even sounds a bit incoherent in places adding to that feeling of madness that shows itself in places here. But when taken in context of the entire song is not incoherent at all. Instead it necessary for this song so you get the feeling they are trying to convey. All of it is building to a climax that is just massive in it's approach. After the midway point the chaos subsides and some melody shows up. There even seems to be a doom vibe going on here but with some beautiful tremolos. The clean vocal chants are just perfect for this where this song is at this point. It's almost as if they are trying to convey the message that out of chaos comes order.

This album is just one roller coaster of emotions from beginning to end. Some places are bit more chaotic than others and there are some that are just too chaotic for me, but they are far and few between because I get the overall vibe they are giving off here. Bottom line, this is possibly the best black metal release of this year. The combination of melody and aggression; of chaos and order shows that these guys are rejuvenated and have found their creative niche once again. If you have ever been a fan of this band, this album is essential and if you are a black metal fan at all, you should devour this album. I did.


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