|
[7.5/10] Despite emerging out of the ashes of the highly acclaimed Autopsy, having been around for the better part of 16 years and consistently releasing a wealth of material within that time, Californian outfit Abscess have, and will always remain an underground cult act with a devoted and hardcore following.
That’s not to say that Abscess is a terrible band by any means. On the contrary, Abscess has certainly released some truly devastating releases in their time, namely 1996’s Seminal Vampires And Maggot Men and 2000’s Tormented. But if there’s one thing that’s evident, it’s that if you’ve heard a couple of the band’s releases in the past, then you pretty much know what you’re getting yourself in for.
So when I was presented with Abscess’ sixth full-length effort Dawn Of Inhumanity (the follow-up to 2007’s Horrorhammer), I had a fair idea what to expect. But lo and behold, Abscess has decided to throw a few twists into their formulated/tried and true sound, with the said changes sure to take some followers by surprise.
For the most part, the four-piece act (comprising of ex-Death/Autopsy/The Ravenous vocalist/drummer Chris Reifert, guitarists/vocalists Clint Bower (The Ravenous) and Danny Coralles (ex-Autopsy/The Ravenous) and bassist/vocalist Joe Allen) retain their trademark death metal/punk/death ‘n’ roll sound that has served them well in the past. Everything from the primitive riffing, the muddied production and the pure aggression of the past is still here in spades. What really makes Dawn Of Inhumanity stand out from previous Abscess album’s is the song writing contained within, with the band allowing a little more experimentation into the mix.
After a slow build, “Goddess of Filth And Plague” gets the album underway in familiar fast paced fashion, with the low end growling drums, the high end drums and the venomous vocals dominating proceedings in a vicious manner.
A definite punk edge is evident in the rocking “Torn From Tomorrow” and “What Have We Done To Ourselves?” but it’s on tracks such as “Never Sane Again” and the title track “Dawn Of Inhumanity” where the band inject a liberal dose of doom and groove, which fits surprisingly well into the band’s sound.
The predominantly instrumental (bar the screaming efforts from the band and guests Nocturno Culto and Fenriz from Darkthrone) “The Rotting Land” sees the band attempting to evoke a creepy vibe with the use of feedback. But despite the best of intentions, the track is a little on the long side and more annoying than anything else. Thankfully, the somewhat melodic/psychedelic “Dead Haze,” the lengthy and experimental “Black Winds Of Oblivion” and the dual blast of “Dark Side Of A Broken Knife” and “Divine Architect Of Disaster” more than make up for the album’s one notable misstep.
Apart from overstaying its welcome at times and the production a little too primitive in places, Dawn Of Inhumanity is by far one of Abscess’ more interesting and adventurous releases, and quite possibly the release that will see the band broaden their appeal outside the underground cult following of the past.
www.abscessfreaks.com
|
