We’ve said it before and will most definitely say it again but rediscovering an album you may have forgotten about while researching an upcoming record by the same artist is THE BEST. It definitely led to Hippotraktor’s 2021 album Meridian being one of our top played on Spotify in 2024 and that same theory might lead today’s artist in question, Pothamus, and their 2020 opus Raya doing the same thing on our 2025 “Wrapped”!
What you get on Abur (Coincidentally mixed, mastered, and recorded by Hippotraktor’s Chiaran Verheyden), the follow-up to that crusher, is something we think is leaner and, dare we say, meaner this time around (And yes, we know, following “Orath” that’s a tough ask). “Zhikarta” is almost a continuation of the aforementioned Raya opening track with Michael Lombarts’ bass robustly rumbling in a menacing manner before Mattias M. Van Hulle brings a percussive force that, when combined with his vocals and Sam Coussens’ broad guitar passages, greatly accentuates the overall atmosphere tenfold.
“Ravus” is up next and is fueled by a full on primal throttling from the rhythm section of Lombarts and Van Hulle with the latter adopting a throaty growl for a gnarly call and response between the clean vocals here. “De-varium” is the only moment of respite on Abur with a three minute plus reflection/meditation led by Van Hulle’s radiant broad vocal passages before “Savartuum Avur” comes sauntering in with a burgeoning presence that takes more than half the song to fully realize into the beastie it eventually becomes. And that’s fine by us!
The beginning of the end starts with “Ykavus” which offers another slow burning sonic sojourn with a pinnacle you might not even realize is happening until it’s all over and that’s the brilliance of the songwriting prowess within Pothamus. Concluding with the title track, the Belgium outfit give a masterclass in developing soundscapes properly with “Abur” quickly rising to the occasion and Van Hulle’s drumming again furthering the story with Lombarts’ bass drone positively transcendent with the way it hypnotically hums as Coussens’ guitar wizardry bobs and weaves across it all to cover the song in a dense tapestry of sound.
Abur releases through Pelagic Records on February 14th. Pre-orders are live now and can be found at the stream below of by heading here. For more from Pothamus, head to the interwebs and click here or here for more.