Though they bore little sonic resemblance to their peers at the time, the story of black metal cannot be told without reference to Abruptum. Founded in 1989 by Tony ?IT? S?rkk?, a pillar of the early Swedish scene who, in addition to Abruptum, also played in Opthamalia and Vondur, among other bands, Abruptum rode the crest of black metal?s second wave. Abruptum was more an entity, a presence, than a band. ?The audial essence of pure black evil,? an expression, attributed to Euronymous, that adorns some of the band?s album covers, captures the intent of Abruptum. In many respects, the formlessness of their music conjures a darker atmosphere than more traditional black metal, which still bears remnants of the rock music from which it evolved. Abruptum, by contrast, was a ritualistic distillation of the genre?s core elements. Like a dissected cadaver, splayed with its organs excised and isolated, Abruptum deconstructed black metal and recontextualized it. By the time they released their third full-length album ?Vi Sonus Veris Nigrae Malitiaes,? in 1996, on Full Moon Productions, IT had parted ways with ALL and recorded the album alone. With ?Vi Sonus?,? IT pushed Abruptum to new extremes, cultivating a sound that is cold, opaque, and lifeless.