Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 02:15 PM by Lilliana Tseka
Genre: Death metal
Country: Greece
Label: Transcending Obscurity (Classics)
Year: 2016
Transcending Obscurity based in India, through its sub-label Transcending Obscurity Classics, starts a new venture with some reissues of underground groups from all around the world. Athenians Abyssus have been chosen to be its first release, while Deceased will follow, with the reissue of their third and legendary album ‘Fearless Undead Machines’.
The very last years, Abyssus is a very active group, having recently released one of the most impressive death metal albums of the Greek scene, ‘Into The Abyss’, (you can find its review here). Formed in 2011, before their last year’s debut, they have released material that worths every (not only) death metal fan’s attention. Through the compilation ‘Once Entombed…’ someone can find what preceded the debut album, the group’s evolution and the changes occurred through the years in their sound.
The two first songs can be found in their split ‘ep ‘Obscure’ with Slaktgrav, that was released in 50 cassettes in 2014 and features ‘Phobos’, a purely representative song of Abyssus’ sound. The following five tracks released in their split ‘From The Abyss Raised The Morbid’ with Czechs Morbider, and were also released in the form of cassette/ep in 2014, entitled ‘Summon The Dead’. The next five dynamites can be found in the split ‘No Life In The Coffin’ with Nocturnal Vomit, released in 2013, featuring an amazing drum-driven song named ‘Unleash The Storm’. Their first ever release the ‘Ep ‘Monarch To The Kingdom Of The Dead’ (2012) is next. The last songs of the CD are a cover in Death’s ‘Sacred Serenity’, that was featured in a tribute release, and a cover in Slayer’s ‘Postmortem’ previously unreleased.
All the songs have not been remastered or remixed, they are in the form they first released. That’s why the listener will notice differences in the production, in the sound or variances in the volume. You will find two different versions of ‘Remnants Of War’ and ‘Left To Suffer’. You can clearly define Abyssus’ influences by the cover songs delivered here: Exploited’s ‘Chaos Is My Life’, Sodom’s ‘Outbreak Of Evil’, Asphyx’s ‘Deathhammer’, Death’s ‘Sacred Serenity’ and Slayer’s ‘Postmortem’. As I’ve already mentioned above, with this compilation someone can listen to the evolution of the group. How the vocal delivery took the today’s form, how the tempos are growing faster from release to release, how the members are getting tighter. How Swedish death metal influences are merging with the Obituaresque ones. How their early primitive sound becomes a modern, groove monsterpiece, till we get to ‘Into The Abyss’.
In general, what we have here is a summing up/compilation of the first three years of Abyssus’ existence. The cover artwork made by Mfa Xii and layout handled by Aggeliki Koliaki. It is a great opportunity for those unaware with Abyssus’ earlier discography to get in to it. It is a pity songs/gems like ‘Unleash The Storm’, ‘Phobos’ and ‘Left To Suffer’ not to get into your attention.
4,5/6
