Audiences flock to horror films or novels to see or imagine perilous situations that put lives in danger. There’s a thrill in vicariously experiencing that existential threat to one’s life. Horror in music is a little different. There are musical scores, like for Jaws and Psycho, that enhance the terror of the imagery, and there are also horror-themed albums, especially in metal. The horror in the latter mainly involves gory cover art or the use of frightening sound effects à la Fulci or Ice Nine Kills. Hazard, however, takes a different approach with his Hasard project: writing music meant to terrify in a real, non-campy way. His latest, Abgnose, features a creature on its cover that could find a home in a Guillermo del Toro fantasy horror flick. Instead of focusing on visceral terror, Hazard aims at a more philosophical, existential horror. The word “abgnose,” which Hazard coined, describes the idea of removing the divine from our lives and “leaving only the despair of having to live and not be rewarded for our actions in this world.” If that sounds like a good time, then dive right in.
Hasard’s debut, Malivore, impressed El Cuervo so much that he named it his favorite record of 2023. He hailed it both as “the year’s most thought-provoking music” and “the year’s most thought-crushing music.” While dissonant, “noisy” music isn’t usually my forte, I also found something about Malivore’s atmosphere and compositions beguiling. Abgnose continues where Malivore left off—horror-tinged symphonic black metal that uses jarring, dissonant instrumentals to get under your skin. Hazard recorded everything himself—the menacing strings, pummeling blast beats, suspenseful horns, eerie synths, and reverberating guitars that create an unsettling atmosphere. Hazard also shrieks and growls in otherworldly, sinister tones. This music is not for the faint of heart.
If you only know Hazard from his other project, Les Chants du Hasard, you’d be hard-pressed to recognize what you hear on Abgnose. Hazard’s strength in both projects is his song compositions. Though each track on Abgnose is at least 7 minutes, they rarely feel it. They are mesmerizing, action-packed, and exciting thanks to the fast tempo drums, synths, and strings. Dynamic tempo shifts and subtle variations in instrumentation keep each song fresh and engaging. The orchestrals make it easy to imagine Hasard’s work serving as the soundtrack to a classical horror film like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari or Nosferatu, while the booming bass drums and off-key percussion of “Senestral” could serve as the theme music for a Darth Vader-like villain. When those horns blare out their menacing tune on “Oniritisme,” it’ll bring you back to your childhood days when you hid under the covers during the scary parts. At this point, however, it has only just begun.
Hazard has composed an album of sheer, unnerving terror, and the first four songs are as brilliant as anything on Malivore. Unfortunately, Abgnose loses momentum on the final track, “Abgnose.” El Cuervo noted that fatigue and a “brickwalled master” held back his score on Malivore, but Hasard has addressed this latter issue with much better production values. Now with ten songs credited to this intense project, it seems the fatigue might be a more difficult issue to address. Having “Abgnose” as the final track doesn’t help. It relies much more on reverb and less on the strings and horns more prevalent in other songs, making it the least dynamic of the bunch. Hazard’s vocal style also changes, sounding louder and more grating. That constant noise and despair become wearying, and for ten minutes, you feel an oppressive weight. Perhaps, in a sense, “Abgnose” succeeds too well.
Hasard remains a singular experience. Much of what El Cuervo said about Malivore still applies, yet Abgnose doesn’t quite replicate its excellence. I can’t help but wonder where Hazard takes Hasard next. Will he continue in the same vein or bring in something new? He started Hasard, after all, due to fatigue following the third album from Les Chants du Hasard. But working on Hasard must have breathed new life into Les Chants du Hasard. In 2024, they released Livre Quart, taking that project down a more menacing path than prior records, and it’s a pretty remarkable album. It’s clear that Hazard is seeking to perfect his nightmarish sound, one way or another, and he has nearly done it on Abgnose.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: I, Voidhanger Records
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: September 5th, 2025
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