REVIEWS

Abelcain
Pantheon of Fiends

Zhark Records

Posted: Friday, December 15, 2006
By: Ilker Yücel
Editor

Abelcain has been a member of the Zhark Records roster for quite some time, churning out his own twisted brand of breakcore and hard drum & bass. Not unlike his contemporaries on the label, Abelcain's sound is a dramatically frantic concoction of mutilated breakbeats and fractured synths and samples that are always sure to hurl the listener into a dizzy spell. With Pantheon of Fiends, his fourth Zhark release, we are treated to his trademark array of eccentric progressions and patterns, paying tribute to classic horror films with a fresh approach of distorted electronic ferocity. From the onset of the introductory track's atonal piano and horrific atmosphere, augmented by sounds of creaking and screaming, we are plunged into a festering world of strange imagery, monochrome and monstrous. The album then proceeds in dramatic form, overlaying symphonic manipulations and waves of synths with percussive attacks that could be described as insane ramblings if not for a subtle sense of intricate structure. Beneath it all is a clear sense of musical direction, with subtle melodies evoking the scary movies of old in fine form. Just listen to "Curse of Dracula" with its hints of dark ambience to the tense buildup of strings flashing by like vampire bats, or even to the scurrying synths of "Musca Domestica" racing by like frenzied houseflies. Also noteworthy is "Resurrection of Imhotep," which has a slower rhythm than the majority of the album, but is no less intense as its arrangement of creepy organ and rapid fire percussion perfectly complements the image of being trapped in an ancient pyramid labyrinth pursued by a hideous mummy. It could be argued that the primary flaw with Pantheon of Fiends is its lack of variety from track to track; while certainly not formulaic, each track does possess the same basic ingredients, giving the album the impression of an extended piece rather than a collection of individual tracks. Of course, given the subject matter, this might be intentional, but even a monster movie marathon has at least one break for popcorn, though the last track does do well to close things out on a more abstract note with a collage of demonic samples and bleak sample-driven ambience. If you're looking some really complex breakcore with a touch of dramatic concept, Pantheon of Fiends will surely entertain as well as any of the classic horror films it celebrates.