Abyss Of Mankind
Pitch Black, 2024
8/10
The sophomore album from the Cyprus residents Hardraw, the traditional heavy metal ideas present are fleshed out by an updated roster of musicians
The dense and hard hitting “The Cry Of Persaina” opens with Nikolas “Sprits” Moutafis and Andreas Kyriacou’s searing guitars complementing Jimmy Mavrommatis’ well sung vocals, and “Hunter X Hunted” follows with Vangelis Moutafis’ thumping drums that suit the chugging and thick climate.
The middle spot is occupied by “Abyss Of Mankind”, where dynamic and melodic ideas enter the throbbing delivery, while “The Path” benefits much from Adamos Adamou’s skilled bass playing that helps ignite the furious yet meticulous metal prowess.
“Second Coming” and “The Riddle Disciples” exit the listen, where the former presents a thundering and soaring mood that spotlights the animated guitars, and the latter, which is the best tune, allows Mavrommatis’ diverse range to illuminate the buzzing and rich metallic landscape.
Members of Hardraw have connections to bands like Solitary Sabred, Receiver, Dragonbreath and many other outfits, and their combined talents make for a powerful and intense record that will appeal to metal fans from the early ‘80s and on.
Travels well with: Flitcraft- House At The Centre Of The Universe; Age Of Wolves- Age Of Wolves