Live Nation are delighted to announce the surprise return to North America of Iron Maiden and their spectacular Run For Your Lives show in the spring of 2027 for a very special third and final leg of the tour. Following the packed shows and rave reactions across Canada and the USA for the recently concluded […]
The post Iron Maiden Announce Brand New 2027 Tour Dates For North America appeared first on ROCKPOSER DOT COM.
Reviewed by Sam Jones
Abyssus became one of my favourite new acts some years ago after I clocked onto their second album, Death Revival, since then I’ve been hanging on to news of their next release which has finally arrived. Formed in 2011 out of Athens, Greece, Abyssus took their time growing their name with EPs and Splits with Nocturnal Vomit and Morbider before unleashing their debut full length in 2015: Into The Abyss. More Splits and EPs followed suit, you can’t say Abyssus rested on their laurels, and though it took a number of years Abyssus soon released Death Revival, wildly acclaimed and is easily the record that put them into many people’s radar, including mine. But The Reign sees the band in a new light; Bassist Manolis Skoularakos, with guitarist Constantine Jajas, each mark their first album credit with the band having joined last year. The Reign, come it’s October 23rd release date, sees Abyssus embark on a new chapter, especially given they’ve signed on to Fireflash Records this time as well. Let’s see what these changes could mean for the band going forward.
Abyssus’s style of death metal is stepped in the old school, whereby the riffs aren’t these meagre suggestions to keep you invested until the next lick comes along. Listening to a riff or one propped by a meaty chord is to have your full attention given over to the band as you’ll feel the guitar work clearly given centre stage. The rest of the band’s presence is on display too that’s without a doubt but the riffs are absolutely thrust squarely in your face so you can’t not notice them. They don’t need to be going at full speed for them to render their impact either; many of the band’s riffs here are segmented, chopped up, methodical and you’ll hear every chord played with due resonance as chords linger just enough seconds before the next note is brought into play. It’ll pull you in that little more because of how defined their riffs feel, giving easier access to following their songwriting along.
Vocally Abyssus are a unique beast amongst modern death metal since their tone is less a typically growling performance, more akin to Obituary’s own John Tardy, where the vocal delivery sounds near pained and excruciating to utter and yet uttered it is. Rather than attire their record in some coat of bellowing façade, the vocals aid the record in providing something real, something visceral. Many deliveries will be heavier than this and with more, baritone depth but it works for Abyssus because it rides lightly upon their musicianship. The two work well together because they aren’t competing against one another.
The interchanging tempos Abyssus play with is another facet as to why Death Revival was so successful. As they play, performing one track after another, you’ll subconsciously register their songwriting is never one-note; it’s never going from one extreme to the other and back again. Like a sea at storm, there are inclines and declines, some more extreme than others but The Reign never rests lightly or for long. It allows songs to keep moving and to stay interesting because audiences will clock on that nothing can be predicted. It also means the record becomes more fulfilling because the band are willing to throw you off any semblance of familiarity, blowing open the opportunities for death metal. Will this piece be instrumental? Will they launch into a tirade of obliteration? Will they take their time and ramp it up towards the end? Such questions become possibilities because the band write into their sound such things and, once you’ve heard it a number of times, every ensuing track becomes a chance for something new.
Abyssus really feature their thrashier tendencies here as well given how fast-paced their songwriting truly is. Though this is death metal through and through the band whirl through the varying sections at lightning pace which means they can write more in to shorter tracks, which keeps audiences invested, which means the band can go all the harder during their performance. But they really are adept at speed, their bass drumming is furious as are the sublimely played and produced solos that tear through the record like steel upon flesh. It’s that one-two punch of rapid-fire track development and ripping speed that’s made Abyssus the hotly acclaimed name they are, The Reign being another example thus. In fact, when the band bring in these bridging sequences, when the music is geared towards that next phase, their punches wear knuckle dusters amplifying the strike that’s bound for our face.
In conclusion, do I believe The Reign is a stronger record than Death Revival? I do not. However, that’s like saying one Caravaggio painting is better than the other; it’s still a damned fine record because had this been written and recorded by another death metal act it’d be considered a premier example of their talents. For Abyssus it’s an average day to release music of this quality. Abyssus have become one of the Greek nation’s most celebrated names as of late and this record cements that recognition. The way they fuse breathless pacing with cohesive yet constantly moving songwriting is a sincere advantage they hold alongside their contemporaries. I hope many take to this album as fondly as I did; it’s good to see the changes in band roster have not ailed them nor prevented them from attaining that high bar so accorded to Abyssus. I’m always hyped to see a new Abyssus record and I’ll be back to experience The Reign again soon.
For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.
The post Album Review: Abyssus – The Reign appeared first on The Razor's Edge.