Were it not for his restless dalliance with an endless parade of parallel ventures (including
Melechesh
,
Judas Iscariot
, and even auditioning for
Slayer
at one point), drummer and vocalist
Proscriptor
might have guided his Dallas-based main band,
Absu
, beyond consideration as one of America's finest
black metal
bands to achieve similar distinction on the international stage. As it stands, cult recognition will have to do, and for those cult followers, 2005's two-disc collection
Mythological Occult Metal: 1991-2001
is a virtual boon of vault-emptying music from all eras of the band's career. Of course, its title refers to
's general lyrical philosophy more so than their constantly shifting musical style through the years, since the material on hand here encompasses quite a radical sonic evolution. Few people know, for instance, that at the time of their 1991 debut EP,
Temples of Offal
would have been best described as a
death metal
band -- right down to the hyper-technical arrangements and vocalist/guitarist
Shaftiel
's guttural croak over tracks like
"Immortal Sorcery"
and
"Disembodied."
By the time of 1994's suggestively named
...And Shineth Unto the Cold Cometh
had already refined those origins into the thrashing
style most familiar to fans, and, come the alternate version of 2000's
"Stone of Destiny"
(originally found on the acclaimed
Tara
album), had arrived at a nearly
avant-garde
compositional finesse, reflected in incredibly detailed storylines and far more accessible instrumental arrangements, even including
Rob Halford
-like shrieking melodies. Disc two of this set keeps the rarities coming by dredging up some entertaining cover versions (including a brutalizing take on
Possessed
's
"Swing of the Axe"
and an almost note-perfect rendition of
Iron Maiden
"Transylvania"
),
lo-fi
but explosive live recordings (highlighted by the scathing
assault of
"Highland Tyrant Attack"
), and a closing tandem of previously unreleased songs drawn from rehearsal tapes which, if nothing else, might teach you that
"Tasseomancy"
is the art of reading tea leaves! All kidding aside, don't hesitate to pick up
Mythological Occult Metal
if you're a longtime follower looking to tie up the loose ends of your
collection; first-time listeners could do a lot worse, but may want to begin their journeys with the aforementioned
album for a more cohesive experience. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia