Album Review: Depths by Abhoria (Prosthetic Records)

Dystopian black metal band, Abhoria, are set to release their sophomore album, Depths, on the 19th of January via Prosthetic Records.

Abhoria came to my attention with their self titled debut, Abhoria, that came out only back in February 2022 so I was pleasantly surprised to see a follow up ready for release already. I love that debut and it ended up being my 11th favourite album of 2022. Depths was conceived and created shortly after the release of that self-titled debut and sees the band dig deeper into the dystopian themes explored on the previous album.

While the groundwork for the lyrical content on Depths was laid in the dystopian-inspired songs of its predecessor, founder Trevor Portz’s vision is more fully realised here. Whilst not quite a concept album, there is a thread that runs between each track; each unveils a different extreme scenario or revelatory terror for the surviving inhabitants in a hellish world. The nightmarish anthology details different Orwellian scenarios where the human condition is laid bare with all its ugly possibilities offered up for examination. How do they react when confronted with nearly inconceivable adverse events? How do extreme conditions shape their view of the world and of themselves?

The band was inspired by many real life locations and situations, allowing their imaginations to embellish further fictional details to bring their bleak visions to life. The ominous, fantastical realm where Abhoria’s storytelling exists is brought to life further still by the magnificent cover art by iconic artist, Dan Seagrave.

Abhoria’s line up has changed since their debut release with a new vocalist in Ben Pitts (In the Company of Serpents) joining the ranks. Abhoria feel this change has instilled a new found confidence in the core members and resulted in an album rooted in the aggressive black metal core of its predecessor, but with new flourishes that push the boundaries of the band. Whilst recording took place in various locations, the resulting nine tracks are a cohesive, dynamic collection masterfully mixed by Zack Ohren.

Abhoria in 2023 are Trevor Portz and Theo Romeo on guitar, Ben Pitts on vocals, Igor Panasewicz on bass and JS on drums.

Depths brings us 9 new tracks and around 45 minutes of aggressive metal to get our teeth in to starting with album opener, Emergence. You quickly note that none of the power or venom has been lost with the line up changes. Stylistically, this is some heavy stuff. Rooted in black metal but quite far away from the traditional Scandinavian sound and leaning more into a blackened death sound, Abhoria quickly capture your imagination, dragging you down into the murky depths of their own vision. Ringing lead guitars combine with a dark and dirty foundation of drums and bass. The vocals are venomous and come in a mix of deeper and higher tones – that mix adding more layers to already quite atmopsheric music.

I mentioned in the review of the debut album how mind blowingly awesome the drums were and they really shine through again. Moving through many different speeds throughout a song, they sometimes seem almost lawless, doing their own thing, but what a weapon this is for a band to have in their arsenal! The speed and ferocity of them in The Inexorable Earth before a sudden switch to a grooving rhythm, the manic tapping of The Well, the insane beats and fills of They Hunt at Night. It’s the gift that keeps giving.

Riffs are monstorous throughout too, sometimes just providing the structure to allow the drums and vocals to take the lead on tracks, occasionally stepping forward to take the lead themselves. The intro riff to Within Our Dominion is a beast, dripping in darkness and sludge. The slower punch of riffs in Devour are preoper headbanging material and pretty much the whole of The Foundling is an exciting riffing machine.

Vocals are as dark and menacing as you would want in this style of music and the band have picked up another great talent in Ben Pitts. He gets to some serious deep depths but can also turn into a higher shout, or a little bit of a shriek and I love the harmonising when both vocal tones are layered. You here that during the chorus of sorts in The Inexorable Earth. The depths he gets to in The Well are memorable whereas that contrast between tones is used to it’s fullest on Devour.

To top it off, the lead guitars are awesome too. Whether in a solo like the absolutely banger of a solo in The Inexorable Earth, or little moments in songs, they add so much and help to complete songs, adding the final flourish to really elevate tracks. I love the little accenting screeches of guitars in They Hunt at Night and that same song’s solo is pretty hypnotic. There are some really neat moments in The Foundling too and some seriously mesmerising leads in Ghosts in the Smoke.

Abhoria close out Depths with a song that showcases their massive ability all wrapped up in one called Winter’s Embrace, an absolute masterpiece of blackened metal. Vocal power at the max combining with insane drum skill and riffs that just grab you, forcefully. It really closes everything out very well but also acts as a damn good example of what Abhoria are all about, and are capable of. If you like your metal dark and heavy, this is for you.

With all this awesome music, so well put together and so impactful, I must admit to loving the lyrics and story. I am a huge fan of dystopian fiction. It’s by far my most read topic so this is really up my street.

Just as an example, one of the many bangers on here is the song The Well which tells the tale of a group of refugees escaping a compromised city in the aftermath of a war. Exhausted, dehydrated and losing hope, they come across a natural water source. Relieved, their thirst is slaked… but the relief is temporary, as they soon discover the water is tainted. Only one among their number doesn’t drink from the poisoned “well,” thus forced to watch helplessly as their friends perish agonizingly. The story was inspired by Montezuma Well in Arizona, where there is a high level of arsenic in the water, rendering it a tantalizingly dangerous prospect for many generations of people.

Abhoria call it “dystopian” and it feels it. This is the soundtrack to the world that comes after the end of days. Or maybe the soundtrack that heralds that ending. Depths is dark, heavy and aggressive yet in a collection of songs that ooze atmosphere, intelligence and imagination. It is black metal, but in a more modern suit with a production that allows you to hear every single note and nuance while not losing the hint of rawness, that more natural feel. Depths is a brilliant album taht will be up there as one of the best albums of the year, I’m sure of it. Don’t miss out.

Grab yourself a preorder of Depths from Bandcamp, here.

Abhoria Links

Bandcamp – Facebook – Instagram – YouTube – Prosthetic Records