Condor – Unstoppable Power

Condor is a relatively newer thrash band hailing from Norway, and has recently put forth “Unstoppable Power” as their second full-length record. Like many of their Norwegian contemporaries, Condor favours the dirty black/thrash approach that worships Venom, Motorhead, and the like. Unsurprisingly, this record is filled with straightforward riffs played at light speed. The result is a noisy, raw sound that will appeal to fans of the subgenre’s roots. The band ensures that the final product is not totally unlistenable, as the production toes the line between being able to clearly hear every instrument, but not sounding particularly modern.

Though “Unstoppable Power” does tend to be fairly one-dimensional, it is a quick burst of energy that ends before it wears out its welcome. In addition, the band occasionally mixes things up by taking a more rock ‘n roll approach, where they slow down the tempo to a mid-paced headbanger, while maintaining simplistic riffing. This is most evident on “83 Days of Radiation”, but shows up semi-frequently on the rest of the album. This is in direct contrast to absolute ragers like “Riders of Violence” or “Embraced By Evil”, which allow little room for breathing. These tracks are designed to tear your neck apart and do so effectively. 

To complement the band’s raw approach, Condor’s singer utilizes a harsh, yet understandable yell. His voice leans more towards the extreme metal side of the spectrum, as his throat is clearly being torn with each syllable uttered. Once again, this is consistent with much of the black/thrash/speed metal the world is seeing right now, so fans of this style will already know what to expect. Overall, it is hard to find faults with “Unstoppable Power”. Some of the tracks could be a bit more memorable, but a band like Condor excels more due to their atmosphere than their songwriting. This makes “Unstoppable Power” an unstoppable release, and an essential record for the thrash enthusiast, particularly if most modern thrash is too sterile for your tastes.

Be sure to check out and like Condor on Facebook!

Highlights

"Embraced By Evil"

"Riders of Violence"

"83 Days of Radiation"

Final Rating

4.0/5 or 80%. 

Written by Scott

Abbath – Abbath

Following his split with Immortal, Abbath is back with his first album for his self-titled band. Not only is this release significant because it is the sole record under the name Abbath, but it has also been 7 years since the release of the last Immortal album. For the most part, “Abbath” is true to Immortal’s most recent sound. There are tons of frosty riffs, blast beats, and of course, Abbath’s iconic frog-croaking vocals. Most importantly, the man can write some pretty compelling songs. This is the primary reason why Immortal has always been one of my favourite black metal bands: their songs have a lot of memorable parts. This record is no exception. One great example is the opening riff of “To War!”, which kicks off the record. It locks into an excellent groove, complemented by a truly crushing rhythm production. While the album still has a slightly garbled, black metal-appropriate production, it does manage to match the heaviness of cleaner death metal bands, and is especially aided by the stellar bass playing.

“Winterbane” will test the limits of fans of purer black metal, as the chorus ends up in a bit of a waltz-like beat. The simplistic kick-snare-kick-snare drum pattern in this section creates a unique feel that makes this song a highlight of the album. “Ashes of the Damned” is another noteworthy track. Though it is driven largely by blastbeats, the chorus features a symphonic emphasis on a couple of notes that is more strange than good. As the album charges on, it continues in classic Immortal form, perhaps with a bit less speed than usual, but certainly with just as much effort put into the songwriting. "Root of the Mountain", for example could be seen as a plodding, lengthy journey, but it manages to create a substantial amount of atmosphere, making the song an enjoyable experience. Every track tries to have a central theme, melody, or moment that you can refer back to, making each of the 8 songs easily distinguishable from one another.    

Consistency is both the knock against the band, and what makes Abbath good. Though he doesn’t deliver albums of the same quality of similarly consistent bands like Motorhead or Tankard have in the past, he also doesn’t release albums quite as often. This means that these albums are welcomed because they are few and far between. Sure, it’s not going to top many year-end listens, but if you ever crave more later-era sounding Immortal, “Abbath” is up to the task.

Be sure to check out and like Abbath on Facebook!

Highlights

"To War!"

"Winterbane"

Final Rating

3.7/5 or 74%. 

Written by Scott