I don't know anything about this musician or band. I can just guess that it's male from USA, Georgia. I didn't find any more information so didn't waste time looking for needle in a haystack (the biggest edition of release of this project is 39, i.e. this tape). Therefor I've spent my evening reading about Order of Nine Angels organization. I've heard about it some years ago, so it was a chance to expand my minimal knowledge. It's an organization of fundamental satanists, often related with ultra right wing movement. Order of Nine Angels does not have much in common with philosophy declared by Church of Satan and (don't want to be offensive to anyone) hedonism. It's oriented more towards perfection of an individual through his endurance etc. I won't share my poor knowledge here with you, I just want to mention that it's interesting and worth checking out.
"The Abyss Is The Gate" is the sixth release of Portuguese label Narcolepsia. Artwork of the release is in label's own, minimalistic, but recognizable style. Cassette + insert with song titles, words from ritual and a picture of a woman's dead body (Order Of Nine Angels organization also to put it mildly are not against human sacrifices). Here and there I saw this record described as drone so I was expecting something different from what I got. The first side of the cassette - "The Gate" - pleasantly surprised me. Good arsenal of metal bangings, striking through several light layers of noise. My ears would like to believe that this is some natural reverb and this ritual with metal objects, dragging and banging of them was recorded in some bunker or cellar. Slightly claustrophobic and uneasy atmosphere; frightening dark piece. Truth to say, the more I was reading about "order of nine angels", the more it seemed that I understand this track better and better. Despite the fact that no big changes in sound and development of the side appeared, but "The Gate" is such a track that you could be listening for yours and not be bored by the flow of sound. I liked it. Majestic threatening darkness. With same expectations I've turned the cassette to side B - "The Abyss", but here I was totally disappointed. Unpleasant primitive synth ambient. Order Of Nine Angels tries to create scary mood in dissonances, to cover lack of ideas or potential in bleakness, but after listening to B side some five times, I decided to stick to the first side. B side sounds like monotonous, unexciting ambient you've heard thousand time before. Such ambient with sixes and pentagrams forms the bigger amount of those satanic ritual ambient albums you hear. Of course, my disappointed might be explained by contrast with excellent A side. My ears were cheering while listening to the first track and here I got something completely opposite. If the cassette would include two such tracks as "The abyss" and nothing else, I'd value the release in a different way perhaps. But finally really nice A side outweighs unpleasant impression that was left after B side and I'd say this release is a rather decent attempt. "Order of Nine Angels" haven't released anything this year yet. It'd be interesting to listen to more releases, but somehow I feel that it can be disappointment. Anyways, this cassette - half a good job. Another half, let's say, is not for my ears.

Format: CS
Released: 2009
Label: Narcolepsia
Edition: 39