Absu

How fitting that I write the entry for the mighty ABSU a mere two weeks or so after the band has announced their breakup!  One of the all-time great American black metal acts is no more.

Absu originally formed in 1989 in Dallas, Texas, as extreme speed metal band Dolmen. Taking their name from the Breton word for a type of tomb, their interest in all things Celtic was thus evident pretty early.  Their style drew heavily on thrash and death metal bands like Destruction, Death, Kreator, Sodom, and Slayer. Within a year, they had changed their name to Azathoth . By 1991, they had changed their name yet again---to Absu.

Stylistically, as Absu had evolved from Dolmen and Azathoth, they evolved from a band that clearly flirted with the line separating thrash and death metal to one being squarely in the death metal camp. Their early demo material was fast, brutal death metal that compares favorably to work by the early genre masters---think Suffocation meets Cannibal Corpse. It was quality stuff that honestly still holds up today---but it wasn't black metal. That being said, the lyrics were not the gore and death-obsessed fare we associate with much of death metal. The band---even this early on---were including occultic, magickal, necromantic themes in their lyrics, as well as drawing on ancient polytheistic paganism for inspiration. It was after the release of the 1992 EP Temples of Offal, however, that the direction of the band changed forever.

Here is the complete Temples of Offal EP---note the raw death metal sound!

It was in 1992 that founding members Equitant and Shaftiel recruited Mysticia (guitars), Black Massith (synths), and Proscriptor McGovern (drums, and eventually, vocals). Proscriptor would eventually take over the reins as chief songwriter and the mastermind behind some of the band's more elaborate conceptual works. The band's sound began to evolve even further. An official bootleg compilation of some live songs---entitled Infinite and Profane Thrones--saw the light of day in late 1992 and debuted some new songs ("Descent to Acheron" and the title track) that bridged the gap between their early death metal years and the mythologically-driven black metal style that they become known for.

The transition to a style that can more accurately be labeled 'black metal'--or something approximating it--was complete within a few months of the release of Infinite and Profane Thrones. Absu entered the studio in 1993 to record their debut album for label Gothic Records. The resulting album--Barathrum: V.I.T.R.I.O.L.--was a mystical blend of black metal eerieness and occultic thrash influence. The obsession with ancient pagan themes was still present, but there was a new, sharper edge to the band. The bluntness of the death metal years were gone.

"The Thrice is Greatest to Ninnigal" comes from their 1993 debut

Barathrum was an American black metal release that took the world by storm. With a riffing style that drew on death metal and a mystical background reminiscent of the 1980s proto-black metal scene, there really wasn't anything comparable coming out of the USA at the time. This resulted in the signing to a bigger label---the up-and-coming French label Osmose Productions. Osmose was the band's home for many of their best and most formative years. After Osmose re-issued Barathrum in 1994, Absu headed back into the studio to record their follow-up. What resulted was 1995's The Sun of Tiphareth.

"The Coming of War" is one of Absu's most famous songs

Sonically, Absu was moving further away from their death metal origins. Now a three-piece (Mysticia and Black Massith had left the band in late '93), Proscriptor and company maintained that mystical atmophere of the early years through the masterful use of layered synths, but their guitar sound was more firmly in the black metal camp than it had been before. Another highlight of their evolving sound was Proscriptor's brilliant, yet precise, drumming (check the beginning of "A Quest for the 77th Novel" for a great example). Lyrically and conceptually, Absu was digging deeper into ancient paganism, mining Sumerian and Mesopotamian sources for its spritual richness. This approach also carried over into the ...And Shineth Unto the Cold Cometh 7", released later that year.

"Highland Tyrant Attack" comes from 1997's The Third Storm of Cythrául

It was on their third full-length album, 1997's The Third Storm of Cythrául, that things really began to fall into place for these mythologically-minded metalheads. Not only did this album feature a much more mature thrash metal-influenced black metal sound with strong riffs and superb drumming, but this was the beginning of Absu's Celtic phase. Absu drew heavily on the mystical aspects of ancient Celtic pagan beliefs for their lyrics, and the band even highlighted their own ancestry to further emphasize the connection. There are some very famous pictures of the bands appearing in kilts and other traditional garb during this era of their existence, for example.

Decked out in Celtic garb, this is the classic line-up in a very famous promotional photo

In interviews as well, the band highlighted the depth and importance of these pagan influences. For the members of Absu--unlike so many other extreme metal bands--the pre-Christian spiritual world was one of magick and power. The charismatic Proscriptor drew attention to the ways in which these beliefs shaped their lives.

Absu continued in this Celtic-influenced vein on the 1998 EP In the Eyes of Ioldanach. This release was not just a continuation of Cythrául in terms of lyrical and conceptual content, but saw a further refining of the thrash-influenced black metal style they had now become known for. But their best was yet to come...

"From Ancient Times (Starless Skies Burn to Ash)" is one of their best songs off of Tara

Absu's next album was 2001's Tara. This album not only saw their obsession with Celtic paganism reach its peak, but the musical style that they had been developing over the past few years peaked as well. It was brilliantly crafted black metal, yet the imprint of thrash metal was still easily recognizable.

While Absu may have reached their creative and musical zenith with Tara, all was not well. Equitant and Shaftiel left over creative differences, and Proscriptor injured his hand in an accident, thus causing the band to be put on hold. Once he recovered physically, he decided to put the band on hold indefinitely.  Over the next few years, Proscriptor was the session drummer for many bands in the black metal underground, and even a primary member of Israeli black metallers Melechesh.

Absu was eventually revived after this hiatus. In relatively rapid succession, they then released 2009's Absu and 2011's Abzu. A solid continuation of their earlier sound, these albums saw their occultic obsession with paganism extend more deeply into Sumerian and Mesopotamian mythology.

Absu spent the bulk of the 2010s touring and spreading their sound far and wide. After guitarist Vis Crom left the band in 2018 (after coming out as transgender), the band didn't last much longer:  Proscriptor dissolved the band in January of 2020. One of the greatest American black metal bands came to an end after roughly three decades of existence.

Select Discography:

Immortal Sorcery (demo) (1991)

Return of the Ancients (demo) (1991)

The Temples of Offal EP (1992)

Infinite and Profane Thrones (compilation) (1992)
Barathrum: V.I.T.R.I.O.L. (full-length album) (1993)

The Sun of Tiphareth (full-length album) (1995)

...and Shineth unto the Cold Cometh... 7" (1995)

The Third Storm of Cythrául (full-length album) (1997)
In the Eyes of Ioldanach EP  (1998)
Tara (full-length album) (2001)
Mythological Occult Metal: 1991-2001 (compilation) (2005)
Absu (full-length album) (2009)
Abzu (full-length album) (2011)

Next time: CARPATHIAN FOREST

Cradle of Filth

Staying in the British Isles, we return to the land that gave the world black metal--England. Hailing from Ipswich in the county of Suffolk, the now-legendary band CRADLE OF FILTH formed in 1990 as death metal band Burial. They might be controversial now because of their commerical success--a phenomenon that has attracted accusations of "selling out" from hardcore black metal fans--but their impact on the genre and on the British scene simply cannot be denied. Founders Daniel Davey (a/k/a "Dani Filth") and Paul Ryan were enamored of extreme metal and wanted to create their own. These Brits were obsessed with everything from thrash to crust to grindcore to old-school black and death metal, citing their fascination with bands like Slayer, Napalm Death, Discharge, and Celtic Frost as early musical inspiration.

However, it was the late 80s/early 90s death metal boom that truly inspired these lads. Albums like Deicide's self-titled, Entombed's Left Hand Path, and Cannibal Corpse's Eaten Back to Life really spurred on some creative efforts from the British bastards of Burial (who had changed their name to Cradle of Filth by 1991 because of a well-established band going by their original moniker). Having recruited some friends to round out the band, Cradle of Filth's early sound was a raw death/thrash -influenced sound with an occultic edge (courtesy of some well-placed synths). Demos like Invoking the Unclean and Orgiastic Pleasures Foul (both released in 1992) showcased this sound.

In its entirety, this is the 1992 demo Invoking the Unclean

Describing their sound as "almost aristocratic" and steeped in English artistic traditions, Cradle's demos made real waves in the metal underground. As a result, they began to make connections with extreme bands all over the world. The vast tape trading network of the extreme metal underground allowed then to make contacts with bands such as Root, Mortuary Drape, Blasphemy, Necromantia, and, of course, the burgeoning Norwegian scene in the form of Darkthrone and Mayhem.

"Unbridled at Dusk" is from the 1993 demo Total Fucking Darkness

Cradle of Filth's sound evolved as their network of contacts grew. Their split release with Malediction and 1993 demo Total Fucking Darkness were well-received among the extreme metal elite, and showed this evolution. Still firmly rooted in death metal, the band's gradual transformation into something different had begun. While still not black metal, the atmospheric use of synths and the gothic approach to their songs showed that they were creating something truly unique. And it caught the attention of record labels, resulting in a deal with Tombstone Records. In fact, they had actually signed with Tombstone and recorded material for a full-length album--to be titled Goetia--even before the release of '93's Darkness.

But Tombstone--like a lot of underground record companies--had more passion than business sense and their relationship with Cradle of Filth soured. The master tapes for Goetia got erased by the label in the process, leaving Cradle of Filth without a debut album. They were too big of a rising star in extreme metal to remain unsigned for long, so it wasn't long before they landed with Cacophonous Records. This resulted in the recording and release of their actual first full-length album, 1994's The Principle of Evil Made Flesh.

"The Forest Whispers My Name" is one of the best-known songs off of Principle

This album represented a big shift in sound for these Brits. The influence of death metal was still there, yes, but the overall atmosphere of the album was more eerie, more occult-driven than what they had done before--including more expansive synth sounds and haunting female vocals. By the band's own admission, Cradle of Filth had started to pay attention to the sounds coming out of Norway--they specifically cite Burzum and Darkthrone, for example, as having an impact on the kind of music they were writing at the time. Principle is a hard album to categorize, drawing on some of the rawer elements of 90s black metal, all the while maintaining the band's death metal roots and expanding the gothic nature of their sound. This era of the band's existence also saw numerous line-up changes. In 1995, while recording the follow-up to Principle, Nick Barker joined the band (their third drummer), and several long-time members (including founder Paul Ryan) left the band. Some of these members even went on to play in Hecate Enthroned, a similarly-styled gothic black metal band that has sometimes (unfavorably) been compared to Cradle of Filth.

In the process of recording their follow-up to Principle, Cradle of Filth's relationship with label Cacophonous headed south. Cradle wanted out of their record deal, and they held some of the already-recorded music for the second album hostage in order to wrangle out of their record deal. Cradle of Filth did eventually put out a second release with Cacophonous to satisfy the terms of their contract: the 1996 EP Vempire, or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein. This release saw the band's sound begin to resemble something more along the lines of the symphonic stylings that could be heard coming out of Norway at the time (think Emperor), yet still retained that raw, gothic edge Cradle was known for.

"Queen of Winter, Throned"--from Vempire--highlights the evolution in Cradle's sound

The band's actual second album--still retaining the title of Dusk...and her Embrace---was released later that same year on new label Music For Nations (the original version of Dusk would see the light of day twenty years later). The sound on this release can definitely be accurately labeled more of a symphonic black metal sound than anything they had attempted before---even the Vempire EP. The riffing is more in line with what we think of when we think 'black metal,' and even the synths are more carefully layered as a complement to the guitar instead of dominating the soundspace the way they did on Principle. Yet at the same time, those in the black metal world who had a very specific---some might even say narrow--conception of what black metal should sound like looked down on what Cradle of Filth were doing.

My favorite song off of Dusk is "Funeral in Carpathia"

The success that Dusk brought the band didn't help--at least in the eyes of the black metal purists. Touring with bands like Dissection and Dimmu Borgir would seem to cement Cradle of Filth's black metal credentials, but selling over half a million copies of an album as uncompromising as Dusk brought cries of 'sellout'. The band also managed to achieve notoriety through huge merchandise sales---including the now-infamous so-called 'vestal masturbation'/'Jesus is a Cunt' t-shirt (a shirt, by the way, that is banned in New Zealand).

The infamous t-shirt in question

The band's follow-up to Dusk was the 1998 album Cruelty and the Beast. A more mature version of the sound on Dusk, this album was a brilliant concept album that purports to tell the story of Countess Elizabeth Bathory, infamous Hungarian noblewoman and serial killer (and inspiration for so many black metal bands!). Boasting a treble-thin production perfectly consistent with the black metal ethos, Cruelty's use of synths to create a gothic atmosphere that outshone even Dusk and Vempire, as well as the clever use of eerie sound effects, spoken word (courtesy of famed horror actress Ingrid Pitt), and beautifully sung female vocals (courtesy of soprano Sarah Jezebel Deva), made it one of Cradle of Filth's strongest releases---to my ears.

The band's rising star did not sit well with the black metal elite of the late 1990s. Features in mainsteam music magazines (including a well-publicized article on black metal in Spin) didn't help either. More line-up changes (most notable was Nick Barker being replaced on drums by Adrian Erlandsson, of At the Gates fame) and solid releases like the 1999 EP From the Cradle to Enslave and 2000's Midian helped usher in what would be Cradle of Filth's most successful period. A controversial video for the song "From the Cradle to Enslave" (released on VHS as part of the long-form video PanDaemonAeon) also pissed off more than a few people in the musical mainstream and raised the ire of censors everywhere.

"Cruelty Brought the Orchids" is a solid example of the sound on 1998's Cruelty and the Beast

This success caught the eye of mainstream record labels, and these blasphemous Brits soon signed with titan Sony Records. This has all but ensured that die-hard black metal fans would never give the band a chance again. And while Cradle of Filth's sound has continued to evolve well beyond the boundaries of black metal (I wouldn't call anything they've done since 2003's Damnation and a Day really black metal, per se), they're still an evil band that is by no means palatable to most folks.

That said, their early work is clearly important for its impact on extreme metal in Great Britain, as well as the development of both the symphonic and gothic subgenres of black metal. I think even the most close-minded black metal fans would like 1994's The Principle Of Evil Made Flesh, and fans of classic symphonic black metal may even like their work up to 2000's Midian.

Select Discography:

Invoking the Unclean (demo) (1992)
Orgiastic Pleasures Foul (demo) (1992)

A Pungent and Sexual Miasma (split with Malediction) (1992)

Total Fucking Darkness (demo) (1993)

The Principle of Evil Made Flesh (full-length album) (1994)

Vempire, or Dark Faerytales in Phallustein EP (1996)

Dusk...and Her Embrace (full-length album)  (1996)

Cruelty and the Beast (full-length album)  (1998)
From the Cradle to Enslave EP (1999)
PanDaemonAeon (VHS) (1999)

Midian (full-length album) (2000)

Live Bait For the Dead (live album) (2002)

Damnation and a Day (full-length album) (2003)

Next time: ABSU