Abigor

Abigor is an Austrian black metal band formed in 1993. They are named after an upper demon of war in Christian demonology.^[1]

History

The band was formed in 1993 by Peter Kubik and Thomas Tannenberger. After the release of several demos, original vocalist Tharen (Alexander Opitz) left the band and was replaced by Silenius (Michael Gregor), who recorded vocals for all Abigor releases but left in 1998 while their fifth album Channeling the Quintessence of Satan was being recorded.^[2] Thurisaz who had been in the thrash metal band Lost Victim together with T.T. in the 1980s, joined the band and replaced the vocals of Silenius on the album. In late 1999, T.T. left the band for various reasons (ranging from personal problems to being fed up with what once was the "scene").^[2] After his departure, Abigor released two more albums before breaking up in 2003.

In April 2006, P.K. and T.T. reformed the band, and a year later, Fractal Possession was released. The band was scheduled to release a split EP in 2008 with French black metal group Blacklodge. In connection with this release, Abigor was supposedly cooperating with Norwegian experimental artist Zweizz.

The band's earlier works were loosely inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The album cover on Orkblut – The Retaliation is a collage of 2 paintings originally made by Lord of the Rings fantasy artist Ian Miller, while the album cover on Channeling the Quintessence of Satan was originally made by the German printmaker/artist Albrecht Dürer. (The Knight, Death and the Devil, 1514)

Most of Abigor releases were released by Napalm Records.

In a 2007 interview, P.K. explained the band's songwriting process:

"T.T. and I are responsible for the music, A.R. will do the lyrics and vocals, that's how it works. I create riffs and record it, T.T. too, we send us files, create rough song-structures till we're satisfied with the result of a song/album "concept" then we start the recordings at T.T.'s Hell-Lab Studio."^[3]

In 2014, Silenius rejoined as a session musician, before becoming a permanent member again in 2020.

Personnel

• Thomas Tannenberger – bass, drums, guitar (1993–1999, 2006–present)
• Peter Kubik – guitar, bass (1993–2003, 2006–present)
• Michael Gregor - vocals (1994-1999, session musician 2014-2020, 2020-present)

Former members

• Alexander Opitz – vocals (1993–1994) keyboards (1993–1998)
• Thurisaz – vocals (1999–2001)
• Moritz Neuner – drums (1999–2003)
• Stefano Fiori – vocals (2001–2003)
• Lukas Lindenburger – drums (2006)
• Sethnacht Eligor – vocals (2006)
• Arthur Rosar – vocals (2006–2014)

Discography

Albums

• Verwüstung – Invoke the Dark Age (1994)
• Nachthymnen (From the Twilight Kingdom) (1995)
• Opus IV (1996)
• Supreme Immortal Art (1998)
• Channeling the Quintessence of Satan (1999)
• Satanized (A Journey Through Cosmic Infinity) (2001)
• Fractal Possession (2007)
• Time Is the Sulphur in the Veins of the Saint – An Excursion on Satan's Fragmenting Principle (2010)
• Leytmotif Luzifer (The 7 Temptations of Man) (2014)
• Höllenzwang (Chronicles of Perdition) (2018)
• Four Keys to a Foul Reich (2019)
• Totschläger – (A Saintslayer's Songbook) (2020)
• Taphonomia Aeternitatis (Gesänge im Leichenlicht der Welt) (2023)

EPs

• Orkblut – The Retaliation (1995, re-released 2006)
• Apokalypse (1997)
• Structures of Immortality (7" vinyl, 1998)
• In Memory... (2000)
• Shockwave 666 (Dark Horizon Records, 2004)

Demos

• Ash Nazg... (1993)
• Lux Devicta Est (1993)
• In Hate and Sin (1994)
• Promo Tape II/94 (1994)
• Moonrise (1994)

Re-issues

• Origo Regium 1993–1994 (demos re-release, 1998)
• Nachthymnen + Orkblut (remastered two albums on one CD, 2004)
• Verwüstung + Opus IV (remastered double CD, 2004)

References

External links

• Official website