Abbath: Outstrider (2019)

Several years back, Immortal death panda Abbath formed a side project with other members of Immortal and Enslaved with the online search nightmare name of I.  The band was more of a blackened heavy metal band, featuring riffs that could have been found in releases by Accept or Judas Priest, but with Abbath's gravelly vocals.  I released just one album, Between Two Worlds, which I thought was a great release.  That seems to have been the jumping off point for Abbath upon leaving Immortal and starting his own eponymous band. 

Abbath has recruited three new musicians who have shockingly never served time in Immortal before.  He released his first album a couple of years back, named after himself of course.  I enjoyed that album quite a bit, and of course Abbath has always been one of my favorite members in Immortal.  The black metal Gene Simmons is completely ridiculous and it is hard not to find humor in most things he does.  But he also has one of the more iconic voices in black metal, so I am always willing to give his releases a chance.

Just as with the previous Abbath album and the I album, the style here is traditional heavy metal, with the occasional black metal riff.  Abbath continues to deliver his trademarked croaking vocals.  The band does an outstanding job of performing music that bears a resemblance to Iron Maiden playing Immortal songs.  The songs are generally short and compact, but with a lot of energy and power. 

This is one of the catchiest albums of the year.  Abbath has done it once again.  He continues to put out terrific music this far into his career, and even after leaving Immortal.  I will continue to check out anything he releases.