For all the excitement people had over the dawning of a new year—and I hated 2023, so I see the point—we’re also that much closer to living in a system of fascism, especially here in the United States. Like, this year could very well signal the end of freedom and security for a lot of marginalized people and could strip back our voting rights. Paranoia? Hardly. Just look around you.

That also plays out on a global level, and “Depths,” the second record from black metal force Abhoria, acts as an anthology of tales about people living under crushing circumstances, their reactions to these things acting as pivotal life moments. The L.A.-based black metal band—vocalist Ben Pitts, guitarists Trevor Portz and Theo Romeo, bassist Igor Panasewicz, drummer JS—is aware of what’s happening around us, the suffering many people endure, and the power structures that let it happen. It’s not a concept record as each song tells a different story, but the struggles are woven together, making a devastating scene where people fight for their well-being, each tale not necessarily ending happily.

“Emergence” is a brief, menacing first cut with the guitars emerging from smoke, growls strangling, and terrors raining, leading into “The Inexorable Earth” that immediately punishes with speed and chaos. Shrieks go for the kill as melodic black metal bursts from the seams, sweeping into fire and death. Speed picks up as vicious playing lays waste, destroying to the end. “The Well” storms, the howls destroy psyches, and things suddenly come unglued, making your safety anything but assured. The path turns progressive as the leads soar, melodies crash down, and everything is consumed by fire. “Within Our Dominion” is sweeping and fast, a stunning force that turns into acidic growls and sludgy power. Shrieks rain down as melodies color the horizon, racing as power engorges, plastering with chaos that peaks and then powers out. “They Hunt at Night” attacks with the leads rushing, growls crushing, and the overall force leaning into your sanity. The playing drills hard, creating a stunning storm, melodies rushing as the thick bassline leaves ample bruising.

“Devour” snakes ominously, the growls tempering as a lurching pace makes your footing unsteady. Leads tangle as the shrieks strike, vicious mashing landing blows to your chest, surging until slowly fading away. “The Foundling” torches as shrieks dig into flesh, melodies gets thick and nasty, and black metal majesty spreads its wings. The playing then glimmers before the leads regain force and swelter, the growls energize, and the final jolts rip air from your lungs. “Ghosts in the Smoke” brings a fiery assault as the shrieks peel back flesh, and spiraling leads leave the room spinning dangerously. The soloing opens and stuns, fiery shrieks spread devastation, and the tornadic melodies leave carnage behind. Closer  “Winter’s Embrace” blasts in with strong leads, fiery vocals, and the attack drilling and smoking. The pressure mounts as the band heads into the eye of the storm, the shrieks loosen rocks, and the torrential downpour leaves you scrambling for high ground.

“Depths” reveals a hellish world where the most harrowing possibilities come true, and each track reveals a new nightmare that once seemed inconceivable. Abhoria’s approach injects drama and terror into their melodic black metal, adding nightmarish melodies and visions of a world permanently fractured. These scenarios aren’t so far-fetched, and depending what path this world decides to follow, we could find ourselves dealing with these situations sooner than we fear.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/AbhoriaMetal

To buy the album, go here: https://shop.prostheticrecords.com/products/abhoria-depths

For more on the label, go here: https://www.prostheticrecords.com/