Spewing forth a rare Texas invasion upon the musical underground in 2001, Absu's latest album, "Tara" unleashes a unique black metal ferocity upon the ear which can only be achieved by Sir Proscriptor McGovern and his band. Led by Proscriptor's intense rapid-fire drumming, unmatched by any other drummer, and banshee vocals, "Tara" stretches deep into the roots of the band to the core of their Celtic ancestry and mythology, and combines it with modern day black metal in the same vein as Enslaved and Dissection of the mid 90's.

Despite its pagan brutality, "Tara" is surprisingly technical. Songs such as "Pillars of Mercy" get stuck in the head rather easily as lightning fast riffs are forged into the brain, while "Stone of Destiny…" combines a slight hint of power metal vocals which just adds to the mystique of the album, only to compliment its medieval feeling.

Intelligent lyrics, blasting drums, ferocious guitars, and even occasional bagpipe instrumentals are meshed together to take Absu's "Tara" to a new level of the black metal underground. It is an opus even the ancient northern gods can take pride in.

-by Ryan Ward