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Former Immortal frontman Abbath is readying the release of the debut album under his own moniker following a somewhat messy split with his old band. “Count the Dead” is the second song to be released off the forthcoming self-titled record and is exactly what fans would expect from the painted black metal icon.
Never short on riffs, Abbath continuously proves himself to be one of black metal’s finest axemen. “Count the Dead” starts off with the sound of rain and crackling thunder before the flanger-heavy guitar playing kicks in. Backed by an anthemic drum beat from Creature, all the familiar elements fall into place with razor-sharp riffing and the frontman’s signature croaking vocals. The band kicks up the dust around the two minute mark, introducing blast beats for the first time in the song and this is where fans will truly feel at home in the mainman’s storied musical history.
The production here is pristine, boasting a guitar tone that is both bright and crunchy, perfectly accented with an organic drum sound that helps the song from sounding too far removed from black metal’s lo-fi roots. Dissonant chords give the triumphant progressions in parts of “Count the Dead” the icy feel Abbath’s guitar playing has always contained.
Abbath will be leading the 2016 Decibel Magazine tour along with High on Fire, Skeletonwitch and Tribulation. For a full list of dates, check our 2016 Guide to Rock + Metal Tours. Abbath will be out Jan. 22, 2016 via Season of Mist.
Earlier this year, a legal battle ensued between Abbath and now former Immortal bandmates Demonaz and Horgh over rights to the band’s name. Despite Demonaz only contributing lyrics since 1997 and Horgh joining in 1996, co-founder Abbath lost the battle and is now going under his own moniker.
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Source: Loudwire.com
