Warthur
The first phase of Absu's existence, before lineup changes prompted a hiatus and a realignment of their sound, might just be the absolute pinnacle of their unique style of "mythological occult metal". Steeped in the darkly surreal atmosphere of Celtic mythology from the cover art to the occasional acoustic moment of calm to the twisting guitar riffs, the album takes us on a furious black metal journey of unusual technical complexity and accomplishment. With the vocals (including a guest appearance from King Diamond under the pseudonym Masthema Mazziqim) shrieking like capering spirits and the musical backing making the best use of the studio (I particularly like how they briefly go lo-fi at the start of From Ancient Times to get across the idea of a legend from the distant past), if Absu deserve to be remembered for anything, it's for this.
