Absurd – Grabgesang (2021)

June 13, 2024

Absurd gotta be one of the best black metal bands out there when it comes to vocals. Whether we’re talking the Wolf-fronted version (in this case) or the JFN-front version (such as Schwarze Bande), the way the vocals sound are both second to none.

This is a peculiar release, though. I don’t want to say it’s a “knock off” version of Absurd, but it’s a curious lineup. Maybe I’m getting confused (it’s easy to when it comes to this band’s various lineups) and I’ve no clue of the intentions going forward, but this is a great little collection of songs. The cleaner vocals on the final track are a nice touch. Production is nothing to write home about but it packs a nice little punch.

This also the first time I have noticed the “classic” Absurd logo swapping out the “Celtic cross” and hammer of Thor for more general pentagrams and inverted crosses, which again doesn’t really help the “unofficial” feel. I dunno, the whole thing is strange, even though it sounds great. Make of it what you will.