Abuol - Posledný Album + Neprístupné EP (2026)
By Flork
Abuol have been producing their particular brand of musical mischief for quite some time now, emerging from the eastern Slovak city of Prešov with a CV that already includes a dozen or so releases. Their latest full-length, Posledný Album (Latest Album), is another chapter in a wonderfully strange and entertaining story. With nine tracks, the band delivers songs that are catchy without becoming predictable, using lots of humour without relying on novelty. The album is just eccentric enough to keep the listener wondering what to expect next. Like their previous work, Posledný Album is still rough-around-the edges, with a playful quality to the material, yet you still get a strong sense of clever songwriting. The production and mixing are so appropriate for the tone of the album. Tracks like Monumentálny bordel (Monumental Mess) gets things moving in suitably chaotic fashion before Aha, kukaj! (Aha, Look!) immediately diverts your attention with its infectious energy. This is the kind of track that makes a convincing case for the band‘s ability to turn the absurd into something genuinely normal. All of the songs are sung in Slovak, which might initially seem like a barrier for listeners outside Slovakia, but punk has never been particularly concerned with language barriers. The upbeat attitude, as well as energy and hooks come through loud and clear, so anyone with an appetite for offbeat punk shouldn‘t let the lyrics in Slovak put them off.
The album‘s greatest strength is probably its variety within a fairly compact running time. Duality (Duality) is another standout that balances its catchy qualities with a slightly more thoughtful feel. Tracks like Mozog na vlásku (Brain on a Thread) and Romantika (Romance) keep the record moving without overstaying their welcome. Subtílna (Subtle) and Inscenácia (Staging) add further shades to the album, and Už si zomrel (You Have Already Died) is in my opinion, the most striking song of the bunch. There is something particularly satisfying about the way Abuol can make a title like that sound both ridiculous and oddly compelling. This track is followed by Život je dar (Life Is a Gift), which closes the album on a suitably concise note. For me, Aha, kukaj!, Duality and Už si zomrel are the three tracks that really stand out for me, but there is enough invention throughout to make repeated listens worthwhile.
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It is also worth considering Posledný Album alongside Neprístupné EP (Inaccessible EP), because the four songs on the EP are far too good to be treated as mere leftovers left in the fridge. Ríbezľový sex (Currant Sex), Rímsa (Cornice), Neprístupný pre deti (Unavailable to Children) and Hugo vonia kvietky (Hugo Smells the Flowers) share the same playful spirit and sense of humour, proving that Abuol had plenty of material that could stand on its own outside the album. You know, in some ways, the EP makes an excellent companion piece, since the four additional bursts of Abuol‘s peculiar musical universe complement the full-length album rather than duplicate it. And so, taken together, the two releases offer a particularly enjoyable moment with a band that seems perfectly comfortable ignoring conventional expectations.
And the Florkman's prognosis? Posledný Album is catchy and clever work, while Neprístupné EP adds another four songs to the prescription. Neither release takes itself especially seriously, but that doesn‘t mean the music lacks purpose or craft. On the contrary, Abuol understand that a memorable song can be strange, funny, short, loud, absurd or all of those things at once. I have to add that the musicianship is also amazing, with the sounds of keyboards and flutes, even a triangle incorporated into the mix. For anyone willing to step into their peculiar corner of Prešov‘s musical landscape, these releases offer a highly enjoyable trip. Thus the prognosis is positive. If the best punk makes you grin and immediately want to hear the song again, then Abuol is doing something right.
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