The Abyss is basically Hypocrisy playing black metal -- the same three guys, though they have switched instruments here, with Peter Tägtgren moving to drums and drummer Lars Szöke and bassist Mikael Hedlund playing guitars. This is heads-down, speedy old-school black metal, well played though a bit samey and monotonous. The vocals are of a typical black metal rasp (all three are listed as vocalists, but it only sounds like one guy). Not a bad effort here, but as Hypocrisy side projects go, Pain is better.