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Content Introduction Even in the world of black metal, where individuals with strong personalities run rampant, Abbas boasts an exceptionally intense character and has released his second album, "Outstrider." Abbas has never stuck to one style since his Immortal days, but this time it's an homage to the early 80s, including NWOBHM, Venom, and Bathory. It also includes a cover of Bathory's "Pace Till Death." Murder, arson, devil worship. Black metal is associated with terrifying images, but even in such a dark world, there are beloved characters. Abbas is one of them. In 1991, Abbas formed Immortal with Demonas, and in 1992 he made his album debut with "Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism." The following year, in 1993, the Fuck Christ Tour, which he undertook with then-labelmates Blasphemy from Canada and Rotting Christ from Greece, has become legendary as the world's first large-scale black metal tour. Immortal, however, gained attention from the "ordinary" public thanks to the music video for "The Call of the Wintermoon." This was because the video, in which Abbas and others in corpse paint ran around in the forest, was, against their will, incredibly amusing. Of course, they had no intention of being funny. At the time, black metal was attracting the attention of the entire Norwegian nation as a terrifying devil-worshipping group. And Immortal even received an invitation to appear on a morning talk show (!). Immortal agreed on the condition that they would film a music video for free, but they were surprised when they saw the finished product. It had turned out to be a completely "funny music video." But you never know what the future holds. Unexpectedly, this became the catalyst for Immortal's popularity to skyrocket. Due to guitarist Demonas suffering from severe tendinitis, Abbas took on the roles of guitarist, bassist, and vocalist on three albums: 'At the Heart of Winter' (1999), 'Damned in Black' (2000), and 'Sons of Northern Darkness' (2002), showcasing his versatility. 'At the Heart of Winter', their fifth album, is widely considered Immortal's masterpiece. However, in 2003, at what should have been the peak of their artistic career, Immortal suddenly announced their disbandment, shocking fans. They only went on a four-year hiatus before reuniting in 2007. In 2009, they released a new album, 'All Shall Perish,' and everything seemed to be going smoothly, but then, surprisingly, a legal dispute erupted among the members. Abbas claimed the band name "Immortal" belonged solely to him, while Demonas and others believed it was a shared name for all members. In 2015, Abbas finally left Immortal. The remaining members, Demonas and Horg, inherited the name Immortal. Meanwhile, Abbas formed a new band bearing his own name. Surprisingly, he even came to Japan for Loud Park 2015, before the release of his album. His debut album, "Abbas," was released the following year, 2016, by France's Season of Mist. Now, Abbas's second album, "Outstrider," is being released. People with strong personalities can be fun to watch from the sidelines, but it's not easy to do things with them. Abbas is probably that type of person, as can be imagined from the friction with the other members of Immortal. And even now, under his own name, Abbas is still Abbas, and by his second album, the other members have already been completely replaced. (If you include live helpers, there are already well over 10 musicians with the title of "former Abbas"!) The King of Hell and the masked drummer are gone. However, it's also true that if Abbas is in it, Abbas is Abbas. On their first album, Abbas introduced brass arrangements and showed a fairly wide range of musicality, but this time they've sealed off that diversity. They're showing a truly black metal approach, an old-school approach from the early 80s. There are many parts that are blatantly reminiscent of NWOBHM, Venom, and early Bathory. The inclusion of a Bathory cover, "Pace Till Death," makes it clear that they're deliberately aiming for that direction. The album reaffirms the concept of black metal as a return to the 80s, a concept that was common throughout the Scandinavian scene in the early 90s. Immortal, with Demonas and Horg, also released an excellent new album last year. And with Abbas also producing such a wonderful work, it's hard not to think that there's a positive side to the band's split, which should normally be a sad event. [Includes Japanese liner notes] [Members] Abbas (vocals) Ole Andre Firstad (guitar) Mia Wallace (bass) Yukri Subileto (drums) [Tracklist] 01. Calm in Ire (of Hurricane) 02. Bridge of Spasms 03. The Artifex 04. Harvest Pyre 05. Land of Kem 06. Outstrider 07. Scythewinder 08. Hecate 09. Pace Till Death (Bathory cover) Media reviews and more Even in the world of black metal, where strong personalities run rampant, Abbas boasts an exceptionally intense character and has released his second album, "Outstrider". Abbas, who has never stuck to one style since his Immortal days, pays homage to the early 80s with this album, including NWOBHM, Venom, and Bathory. It also includes a cover of Bathory's "Pace Till Death." (C)RS