| Expanded reissue of early material from the Polish old-school black metal cult, Holy Death. Disc two features rare, previously unreleased outtakes from the Abraxas recording sessions in 1994—raw, alternate instrumental versions that offer a glimpse into the band's creative process during their most enigmatic era.
A buried treasure of the Polish black metal underground, Abraxas by Holy Death stands as a compelling example of a band that chose the path less traveled—and in doing so, carved something entirely its own. Originally released in 1994 and later reissued as Apocalyptic War, this recording showcases a singular vision within the genre: slow, meditative, and laden with eerie atmosphere, far removed from the blastbeat-driven orthodoxy of the early ‘90s scene.
Rather than chasing the cold, tremolo-drenched minimalism of their Scandinavian contemporaries, Holy Death embraced a slower, more brooding pace—closer in spirit to early Samael or even the more ritualistic strains of doom. Yet even those comparisons fall short. Abraxas is uniquely immersive, drawing listeners into a shadowy world of whispered incantations, funereal bells, and cavernous textures.
The title track sets the tone with a dramatic intro of rain, tolling bells, ominous keys, and distorted voices—a cinematic prelude that builds into a dirge-like crawl. The instrumentation is rich and layered: bass takes an unusually dominant role, guitars weave spectral shapes more than riffs, and the percussive pulse feels more ritualistic than rhythmic. It’s black metal, yes, but from a dimension adjacent to reality—evocative, trance-inducing, and strangely beautiful in its desolation.
Tracks like “Inferno” and “Astral Nightmare” show the band’s range—one drenched in heaviness and grief, the other expanding into a celestial soundscape where melody and mystery converge. Flashes of operatic vocals, unexpected flutes, and experimental synth textures punctuate the album, reinforcing the sense that this is music made with intent and imagination rather than imitation.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Abraxas is how forward-thinking it feels even decades later. Its slow pacing and atmospheric depth anticipate styles that wouldn’t gain popularity in black metal until years later—whether in the post-black or ambient scenes. Yet Holy Death did it without fanfare, far from the genre’s major hubs, and long before such ideas were fashionable.
Why Holy Death remain relatively unknown is a mystery that only underscores the cult status of this release. Distribution hurdles, lack of exposure, or sheer timing may have played a role—but none of that diminishes the impact of the music itself. Abraxas is a hidden gem that belongs in the collection of anyone intrigued by black metal’s stranger, slower, and more spectral corners.
For those who appreciate black metal that reaches beyond aggression into atmosphere, ceremony, and the esoteric, Abraxas is a journey worth taking—preferably alone, under a starlit sky.
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