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ABYSMAL WINDS
Doom Prayer (2022)

Born from Sweden’s blackest, flame-scorched pit, Abysmal Winds comes rushing out like some demonic force.

Boasting seven cuts, a vocalist who burps fire, and a guitar sound that scalps, Doom Prayer is one of those relentless death metal assaults that doesn’t try to be anything else other than heavy, racing death metal with a dank, suffocating atmosphere.

‘Harvest’ is a brutal expression of chilly vocal echoes whereby HCF’s grisly growl acts as a blasting furnace of chilly channelling, while alongside him the cold rushes of instrumental grimness flurry.

It’s relatively standard death metal when one considers the scene nowadays, but it still makes for a bludgeoning experience as ‘Spiritual Decadence’ provides similar flusters of anguish. Of course, there may be some who find such behemoth rattlings as generic – after all, Abysmal Winds are more than happy to live up to their name and do nothing but be abysmal and windy!

‘Oblivion’ is vaguely slower in its approach but still black, booming and ice swept. The percussion is deep, barbaric and trouncing, and the chords grate in a very familiar fashion to the point of smothering.

No surprise then that ‘World Cadaver’ grinds and gnashes with similar harrowing torrents, as does ‘Drink The Poison’ which could be deemed slightly punkier in its assault. However, everything here remains fast, cold battering right up until the final moments of closing number ‘Hollow’.

All I can say is that if you like guttural, foul yet pacey death metal then Doom Prayer just quenches your thirst. If, however, you’re looking for deviation, doomy passages, slow and sickly segments, then look elsewhere because Abysmal Winds are not here to entice with suspense. Instead, this band of sullen souls just want to batter you senseless.

It’s a shame in a way, because for a brief moment during ‘Hollow’ as a gloomy bell chimes there’s hope that these guys may just slow down, but, like I said, for the most part this is no frills crushing death metal – nothing more, nothing less.

For those of you interested, the Doom Prayer demo is available here.

Neil Arnold

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