Directly inspired by the oceanic depths and how they mirror the mire of mental anguish, The Abyssal Plain draws upon the activity that lies deep bellow the sun-blessed waves of the seas. Thankfully, this isn’t a record that aims to naffly document Lovecraftian beasts or other such imaginings though. In contrary, it aims to explore the other, even more terrifying presences upon the ocean floor. The scariest inhabitants of our waters aren’t Cthulhu or his mates; it’s a drifting plastic bag and a spill of industrial bleach. This is the crux and source of rage of this record, a body of work that’s as primeval and crushing as the pressures of the bathypelagic.
Following the clean instrumental of ‘Counterillimation’, Dryad pulls one down into the oceanic trenches of The Abyssal Plain with ‘Bottomfeeder’ and the brilliantly chaotic ‘Brine Pool Aberration’. There’s absolutely no subtleness to these introductory movements; it’s just immediate and instant savagery delivered with predatory blast beats, rapid tremolo picking and a real sense of urgent rage that’s made palpable by the brilliant vocal work of Claire Nunez and guitarist Grimmtooth. Whilst both vocalist’s work easily sit within the screeched vocal framework of the genre, the difference in timbre and delivery works wonders.
As Nunez’s screeched and feral yelps battle with Grimmtooth’s more guttural and bestial lines, a profound and primeval quality to their work becomes apparent. This is specially evident in ‘Tranches’ and ‘Pompeii Worm’, two tracks that will no doubt sate both pursuits and those with a love for the modern stylings of black metal alike. ‘Loki’s Castle’, a sub-two minute lashing of pure fury towards the powers that be, further adds to this, especially with it’s powerviolence delivery and bile. These tracks carry so much power and fury it ultimately highlights and further discredits the artificial anger many traditionalist black metal bands have been implementing into their work in recent years.
Of course, with this being a record with a concept – yet wholly not a concept record in itself – Dryad have taken steps to ensure the aquatic theme is overt in the music. Some steps work better than others. The most overt inclusion on the record are the synth-driven and key driven interludes that chapter the record, such as ‘Hadal’ and ‘Raptures Of The Deep’. With the inspiration from classic composers John Carpenter and Dario Argento transparent, they are at odds with the prominent and blanketing haste of the album. Some may call them as pieces of juxtaposition, some may call them a hinderance to the pace of the record. Thankfully, the ghastly instrumental ‘Chimera Monstrosa’ does offer more than the rest of these interludes given it’s contrast between reverberating keys and classic black metal instrumentation.
Whilst such interludes are inoffensive, they will most likely be a polarising feature for some, especially given how the record uses more cunning features to flesh out it’s theme. One of these is features is the production itself. Of course, like all good black metal records, the production is suitably lo-fi and rough. However, this serves more than an aesthetic purpose here, with the pressurised and condescended production mirroring the crushing pressures of the depths that inspire the record. The title track and the gruelling dredge of ‘Black Smoke’ showcases this brilliantly, with the bestial vocals, grating riffs and drums all condensing into each other without losing any of their jettisoning angles. Sparsely used synths also elevate the subaquatic theme, and whilst the inclusion of electronics in traditional black metal may cause some to clutch their pearls – these electronic textures are subtlety yet masterfully implemented into the record, adding further life to this delightfully holistic and cold record. Granted their prominent feature on the closing arc of ‘Electrification’ may be too clashing and forced for some, but to call it a hinderance to the record to a whole would be hyperbolic.
The Abyssal Plain may be inspired by the utterly dead and lightless chasms of the deep, but this is a record that’s filled with animation and life, albeit some that’s furious and vengeful. Abrasive and raw yet filled with quirks and forward-thinking considerations, with this record Dryad have crafted a body of work that will satisfy both the black metal traditionalists and those longing for the progression of the genre. Regardless of where you stand on such a spectrum, this is a suffocating plunge that’s well recommended.