Absu

Eight years after Absu's monumental Celtic black metal masterpiece Tara, the Texan black metal band's name is still held in high regard on both sides of the Atlantic. Eight years is a damn long wait for new material but now those who have marvelled at the near-perfection that was Tara finally have some new Absu to devour. As the immediate cyclonic chaos of the self-titled new release hits, you know that it was worth the wait. Absu is a very special and very unique offering that may be 2009's landmark black metal album. Switching up the Celtic influences for more of a Melechesh-sounding Sumerian vibe, drummer/vocalist Proscriptor (who had a short stint in Melechesh) not only rips shit up on drums but his snarling, vitriolic vocals spew out of the speakers like acid. In front of him, the rest of the band lay down a great combination of mind-bending chugging with some very accessible and toe-tapping groove parts. Front to back, Absu oozes the atmosphere of top-notch black metal that purists say was lost by the turn of the decade. Without a doubt, this is one to remember.