Review & Full Album Stream: Abanamat, Abominat
Posted in audiObelisk, Reviews on October 14th, 2025 by JJ Koczan
Heavy psych/prog rockers Abanamat release their second album, Abominat, on Oct. 17 through Interstellar Smoke Records. It is the Berlin four-piece’s follow-up to a well-received 2023 self-titled debut (review here) and is cleverly constructed well beyond the phonetic similarity between its title and the band’s name. Opening with “Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife,” which is both leadoff and the longest of the seven inclusions (immediate points), the band begin with a surprisingly languid fluidity, showing self-awareness in the use of ‘dream’ in the title for the sense of flow in the overarching lead guitar. Vocals come and go throughout the album, handled by guitarist Max Goetsch, but they start instrumental, and the clearly-conveyed intention is to immerse the listener in sound. There’s maybe some escapist element there — it’s a brightly-colored dream of Ms. Fisherman — but it’s the chemistry of the band that carries it, Goetsch and fellow guitarist Dima Zangiev joined in the rhythm section by bassist Pedro Pinheiro and drummer Tyler Pesek, who if they didn’t record live were close enough to it.
Side A works longest to shortest across the first three tracks, and “Blue Yonder” picks up where the evocations of “Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife” left off, but soon becomes a proggy shuffle with the first vocals of the record complementing a couple twisting verses before a re-mellowing brings it back to the intro, this time with watery vocal effects, and inevitably renews the shove. You know it’s coming, they know it’s coming, it’s still satisfying. Unless I have where the side split is wrong (possible), “Carpet Denim,” as opposed to ‘carpe diem,’ caps the first half of Abominat, with a fuller tonality and further reinforcement of some of My Sleeping Karma‘s Orientalist meditations. The all-in solo that takes it well past its midpoint and toward the riffy end feels like a precursor for the album-capper title-track, which as noted by the PR wire below has a guest appearance from Isaiah Mitchell (Earthless, Tranquonauts, etc.), providing a culmination for itself and the two songs prior before it’s done.
“Fossil Eyes” (say it out loud) brings hand-percussion to the record’s shortest cut as the guitar emphasizes minor-key delve. There’s more movement than one might expect, but it’s still primarily hypnotic, particularly as an instrumental. Side B, working shortest to longest across its first three songs with the title-track excepting itself from the rule to close, grows vibrant with the surge of “Zugzwang,” emphasizing groove even as the guitar goes a-universe-tearin’ once more. The arrival of vocals two minutes in is met by a denser riff that steps back to give space, but as with “Blue Yonder,” the voice is there and then gone and the band dig back in for the instrumental ending. I’m not sure one is more their element than the other, actually — voiced or not — but the way they flesh out parts is suited to letting the exploration happen without being called back to the start of a cycle every time a line of lyrics is done. The chugging finish of the penultimate “Saturnine,” comes after an Elder-style serenity is established and revealed as a build through its verses and solos.
And speaking of solos, “Abominat” follows. Its placement is somewhat odd considering the way the rest of the LP seems to be laid out in part by runtimes, but it makes sense once you hear the riff at the center of it and the swirl that surrounds. Mitchell‘s guest spot howls at the conclusion, and I guess it’s fair enough that Abanamat would put it in such a position of respect — to wit, it’s the last thing to go when the song is over — although the truth of the matter is that as regards guitar work, Goetsch and Zangiev have just about carried the album the whole time, and their stepping back from ‘finishing the job’ feels like a decision that sits “Abominat” almost as a bonus track in the progression of the record, separated from the rest of the proceedings by the banger adrenaline scorch of “Saturnine” and very much its own thing, less about the willful growth in sound Abanamat present throughout Abominat (including in the title-track) than what comes before it. That’s not a dig; it’s a ripper. It’s also something of a diversion.
But, one of the great strength of Abominat throughout its 41 minutes is that one doesn’t really know where a given track might end up when it starts out, and that’s true of the closer as well. Across the entire span, Abanamat come through like a band who have worked hard and pushed themselves to expand on what they did with the first record, and the material itself bears the fruit of that labor in its progressive, intricate style. Where they go from here, I don’t know, but I’ll be keen to find out when the time comes.
Abominat streams in full on the player below, followed by release info from the PR wire.
Please enjoy:
Based in Berlin, heavy psych and prog merchants ABANAMAT come from all over the globe, united to combine their sonic wizardry into a mainlined dose of sublime psychedelia.
2023’s debut self-titled planted their name in the sand, and the crew’s sophomore effort “Abominat” sees them embrace the blissful side of their psychedelia and flirt with their penchant for proggy shredding.
Dazzling guitarwork is again the centerpiece, weaving a tapestry of international influences across seven tracks. Vocals are sparse and let the instruments do the talking, creating a journey heavy on atmosphere and shimmering with spiraling riffs and airtight drumwork.
Upping the ante and awaiting listeners at the end of the trip is the final and title track, featuring the fiery guitarwork of none other than Earthless’ Isaiah Mitchell, who cranks up the fuzz for a barn burner of a send-off.
“Abominat” lands October 17th on Interstellar Smoke Records, and can be experienced live when ABANAMAT set out to tour Germany and neighboring countries in 2026.
ABANAMAT – Abominat
Album out October 17th, 2025
Interstellar Smoke Records (Digital, Vinyl, CD)
Berlin, Germany
FFO: Camel, Earthless, Diamond Head, Mulatu Astatke, Prince, Once and Future Band
Tracklist:
1. Dream of the fisherman’s Wife (7:13)
2. Blue Yonder (6:59)
3. Carpet Denim (6:05)
4. Fossil Eyes (4:49)
5. Zugzwang (5:20)
6. Saturnine (5:45)
7. Abominat (feat. Isaiah Mitchell) (5:07)
Recorded and mixed by Richard Behrens with additional recording by Fabien de Menou at Big Snuff Studio, Berlin, 2024.
Produced by Richard Behrens
Mastered by Carl Saff
Artwork by Sara Koncilja
ABANAMAT is:
Tyler Pesek – drums
Pedro Pinheiro – bass
Dima Zangiev – guitar
Max Goetsch – guitar/vocals
Interstellar Smoke Records Linktr.ee
Interstellar Smoke Records store
