This is the debut album from UK death metal band Strigoi.

Brought to us from the guitarist of Paradise Lost, rising out of the ashes of his Vallenfyre project, he’s joined on Srigoi by members of both bands, (one of which is also an ex-member of Extreme Noise Terror), giving us 44 minutes of engaging and individual death metal.

Strigoi loosely follows the path that Vallenfyre trod, at least in its component parts; blending old-school death metal with grind and punk. Strigoi is its own beast, however. It’s more refined and considered, while also being simultaneously more focused, and covering more ground. There’s an increased emphasis on atmosphere, as well as the incorporation of doom, industrial, and black metal influences, which sees Abandon All Faith operating in overall more darker, more macabre waters.

Short, brutal cuts sit alongside longer, more involved songs that focus more on foreboding mood and darkness. There’s a good amount of diversity on Abandon All Faith. The use of melody across this album is infectious, and regardless of the length or speed of the songs, everything here is much more sinister and evil than you might expect, further differentiating Strigoi from both Paradise Lost and Vallenfyre.

With the type of raw, harsh delivery that’s normally reserved for underground black metal bands, Abandon All Faith is a strong album that stands on its own merits. Make sure you give this one a listen.