BITE SIZED: Absu - Abzu

Alright, this album doesn't come out for a few more days and I only just finished through my first listen, but I just have to blurt out right now that this is almost assuredly in my Top 5 for the year.  While Absu (the album) was very good, as is Proscriptor's standard minimum, it was more melodic and less frenzied than the thundering megalith that was Tara.  I'd still certainly recommend it, but it never stuck with me as much as some of their other work.  Now here, the strangely titled Abzu, manages to completely blow Absu out of the water, possibly putting itself in contention for the best Absu album.  I'm not entirely sure I'd rank this over Tara just yet, but it gets rather close in terms of attitude and quality.  The execution is far more intense and unrelenting than the previous album, hearkening back to the band's glory day, which is obviously a marvelous thing.  I'd say the most memorable sections appear in "Earth Ripper" and "Ontologically, It Became Time and Space", but nearly the entire album is insane blackythrashy bludgeoning along the same ideas.  Unlike the last album, this one doesn't start to wear itself out, as the running time is only around 35 minutes, and only features six tracks.  My only real complaint would be the final track, the nearly 15 minute long, multi part monstrosity that is "A Song for Ea".  The issue with it is that it really doesn't have to be as long as it is, as the different sections of the song really sound like potential standalone tracks.  The transitions between movements is really clunky and honestly feels like a new track is starting each time anyway, which makes the bloated runtime a bit annoying.  Apart from that stylistic quibble, this is incredible.