Columbus, Ohio, is the home of the dynamic duo behind Abyssal Rift, and they’re the proud owners of a band logo so completely unintelligible that we could have used it during WWII to utterly flummox the Nazi codebreakers. On sophomore outing Relics of Great Ash, the twosome throw gnarly chunks of Immolation, Incantation, and Ulcerate at the slaughterhouse wall and then try to cram proggy ideas into the steaming caverncore shitpile they’ve unleashed. With talent aplenty, Abyssal Rift often try to do it all, wanting to have their scuzz-bucket cake and choke on some prog icing too. Is this a recipe to get death heads in thrall or stuck in the stall, eliminating all memories of what the band is laying down?
I’ll say upfront that when Abyssal Rift hit their stride, the vile poo-storm they conjure is awe-inspiring and overwhelming. Opener “Consummate Design” quickly displays this juggernaut of sound and knocks you on your ass. This is some seriously gourmet caveman shit, like a mash-up of Immolation and Incantation ideas injected with rabies and gas station dick powder. There’s a clawing, attacking intensity that makes you hunger for more, and just as your hunger grows, the band shifts to a dreamy, spa-friendly sound before transitioning to Incantation-esque death-doom plodding. These shifts offer diversity at the expense of crucial ass-beatery, and while the doom segments are effectively heavy, they aren’t as thrilling as the unhinged onslaught that precedes them. Certain movements get stretched out too long as well, and the song ends with a whimper as a minute-plus of soft, tranquil noodling and gentle keyboards closes things. It feels like a missed opportunity after the vicious throat punch delivered early on. The massive title track is an 8-minute experiment that smashes funeral doom into caveman death and proggy wanderings. The crushing doom segments hit hard and feel oppressive as subhuman belching vocals sound moist and corpse-pasty. However, there’s a long block of time at the midpoint spent toying with synths and wind effects, and it hamstrings the overall flow as things meander in a haze.
Abyssal Rift are at their best when coming after you like a bloodthirsty, rampaging beast in a crowded mall stocked with unsuspecting and overweight shoppers. This is where you hear and feel their talent and potential. Take “The Enlightenment (There Was Never Will)” for example. Here they keep the song length relatively short and hammer at you savagely with blastbeats and twisting, menacing riffs that feel sharp and dangerous. The mildly proggy sequences and time shifts add rather than detract, and things don’t get bogged down. “The Death of God” is the album’s high point, delivering crusty, scabby filth that feels simple and complex at the same time. I especially like the weird groans and moans that remind me of early Mayhem. Unfortunately, Abyssal Rift prefer to dabble outside these caveman circles more often than not, with diminishing returns. The last 12 minutes of the album are rather tedious, with closer “Sphere of Perpetuity” feeling especially flat and unfocused while offering little payoff. At 36 minutes, Relics feels longer, and there’s a serious bloat problem on multiple tracks.
Abyssal Rift is largely the work of Matt Auxier, who handles guitars, bass, vocals, and keys. He does a fine job across the board, unleashing caustic riffs and menacing harmonies that would even give Incantation themselves a few jump scares. His vocals are hideous and gruesome, and there are moments of repulsive beauty here that will impress those who spelunk in the depths. David Mahony mans the kit and delivers an endlessly berserk performance, running amok and shifting gears on a dime. The ability is here without doubt. It’s the writing that drags Relics downward from a must-hear to a maybe-hear. There’s too much time spent faffing with proggy ideas that don’t gel or elevate the material, and these efforts hurt the flow of the material. I keep wishing they would just put their heads down and go for broke and stop trying to be so fookin’ clever. Maybe that says more about me being an unevolved ape marinating in a rancid rotpit, but I am what I am.
Relics of Great Ash hints at something great, but the duo behind Abyssal Rift can’t pilot the ship to the promised land. With some restraint and a commitment to MOAR wanton brutality, big things could happen. For now, though, when the caverns come calling, and I’m cruising for ash, I’ll have to look elsewhere to satisfy my dank needs.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Transcending Obscurity
Websites: facebook.com/Abyssalrift | instagram.com/abyssal_rift
Releases Worldwide: August 14th, 2026
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