After over a decade of small label releases, the Italian black metal group Abhor has finally caught on with the big boys at Moribund Records. Playing a mellow, somewhat eerie style of black metal that recalls hidden chambers , esoteric societies and alchemistic potions, Abhor’s 5th full length, Ab Luna Lucenti, Ab Noctua Protecti has more than enough atmosphere and mood. However, mood and atmosphere can only take an album so far; when it comes to songwriting and musicianship, Abhor simply do not have much to offer.

Ab Luna Lucenti, Ab Noctua Protecti leaves a lot to be desired in the way of riffs. Most of the riffs are mild, even paced and ever so slightly menacing. The bass and drums are stable but uninteresting. Then there are the vocals, which sound like a toad whose been out of water too long and is starting to dry up. The burping, gurgling vocals become ever more irritating as the album moves along.

The only thing that really stands out is the keyboards. Make no mistake, this album lives and dies by the keyboards, which add lots of spooky melodies that bounce about in awkward yet enjoyable rhythms. They recall the keys on early Dimmu Borgir albums—lush, gripping yet fairly simple. Unfortunately, just like Dimmu Borgir, the keys are sometimes extremely campy. For example, on “Seven Magic” the high pitched, squealing keys sound like they were picked straight out of an episode of Scooby Doo. On the other hand, the devious keys on “Echoes of Desperation and Hate” create a deliciously haunting atmosphere.

However, there just isn’t enough diversity on Ab Luna Lucenti, Ab Noctua Protecti. None of the songs shift out of a semi-slow tempo, nor do they ever get real heavy or real soft. The album just drifts along like a sailboat on a windless evening. There are just no elements of surprise. The one exception is the finale, “Aura Ignis Aqua Tellus,” where Ulfhedhnir belches and drools over acoustic guitar. That’s not the element of surprise the album needed…

On the whole Abhor is a fairly incomplete band. While they are able to create a nice general atmosphere, they are unable to fill that atmosphere with engaging shifts in pace, tempo or even melody. Though the keyboards are generally catchy, the guitars, bass and drums never manage to stand out. Add in the sub-par vocals, and the grand total is a fairly run of the mill black metal album.

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Written by Jael

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