by Kevin Odle
The unholy Austrian black metal combo Abigor was formed in 1993 by T.T., P.K., and Tharen. After recording several demos, Tharen was replaced by Silenius with whom the band recorded yet another demo entitled "Hate & Sin" just prior to being signed by Napalm Records. In 1994, their debut album Verwustung / Invoke the Dark Age was released. This powerful debut quickly established Abigor as serious and credible black metal, separating them from the truckloads of bands that were popping up all over the world in the wake of the antics and hype of the Scandinavian scene. Abigor has been a very prolific band over the years, releasing eight CDs between 1994 and 2000. Highlights include the 1995 album Nachthymnen (From the Twilight Kingdom), and the 1996 two-part epic Opus IV, which is a combination of two chapters, "Horns Lurk Beyond the Stars" and "Blut Aus Aeonen," recorded in late 1995 and early 1996. The band's lineup remained stable up until the 1999 release, Channeling the Quintessence of Satan, on which the vocals of Silenius, who went on to form Summoning, were replaced with Thurisaz. Then in 2000 T.T. left the band due to personal differences with the other members and was replaced by Moritz Neuner. The trio went on to record an EP entitled In Memory as well as the album Satanized (A Journey Through Cosmic Infinity) which was released in March of 2001.