Absu
Tara
[Osmose]


Damn! I've never cared for Absu very much, but then again they've never sounded quite like this either. I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by Tara; after the In the Eyes of Ioldanach mcd I feared this band were headed down that all too familiar wretched path of retro-thrash, especially with their widely known label conflicts, except somehow instead they've successfully taken all the good elements from Third Storm of Cythraul and enhanced them to an excellent black/thrash blend which takes me back to the good old days of Slayer and Possessed. With over fifty minutes of stunning accuracy and incessant aggression, this is the best release the Texans have done by far and it's constantly returning to my cd player.

Tara is split into two concepts, the first being "Ioldanach's Pedagogy" and the second "The Cythraul Klan's Scrutiny," which seems to imply that the group is coalescing not only the positive aspects from the previous recordings but the idealism as well (or if those were not the intentions, they have still done so rather admirably). The album's first and perhaps best track "Pillars of Mercy" opens with some barren and somewhat chilling bagpipes that lead into Absu's typically meticulous formula of blazing riffs and ancient vocals, except with more intensity than I've ever heard this band display before. Proscriptor has also improved his drumming (though it was always done with a lot of spirit) through the usage of a precision double bass and snare rolling which appears particularly effective on "Scarless Skies Burn to Ash." Other highlights include "The Cognate House of Courtly Witches Lies West of County Meath (fuck)" and "Four Crossed Wands" from segment two, though I don't see any weak tracks.

Unfortunately the first side is much more thrilling than the second, but overall an energetic and vigorous outing from a band that I have much newfound respect for.


© 2001 hando