A brand-new formation begun in early 2020, Norway’s Abhorration nevertheless feature members hailing from such bands as Condor, Nekromantheon, Hecatomb, Resonaut, Purple Hill Witch, and Obliteration. While one could reasonably expect what sound might result from such a conglomeration, the power-trio’s first public recording, After Winter Comes War, aims for an olde-world Metal of Death that abounds with a refreshing sense of the “new.” Here, Abhorration invoke and re-arrange trace elements of classic Sadistic Intent, Morbid Angel, Possessed, and early Vader into something uniquely labyrinthine – epic, haunting, and most devotedly METAL above all – with the wicked angularity of prime Axis of Advance to make proceedings that much more twisted & pissed. The recording across After Winter Comes War is suitably raw, but the execution is deadly tight, and the four component compositions thus ripple with an intensity that’s scabrous. And thankfully, not once is there a cloying sense of “retro” here. Truly, an auspicious first start for this formation!

What comes after After Winter Comes War? Only Abhorration know at this moment – the band has since expanded to a quartet, and a full-length is rumored to be in the works – but Invictus is ready for whatever arsenal is provided next!