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Raw hardcore sang in Spanish from NYC.
Our take: Much like the Fairytale album Toxic State released earlier this year, a hater could give this debut from New York’s Abism a cursory listen and dismiss it as just another d-beat record. Those of us who really love this stuff, though, will hear Abism’s originally and appreciate that they’ve made a singular record. I saw Abism play last summer, before they’d released any recordings, and at that gig I was struck by how original they sounded, how they sidestepped the hardcore arms race toward ever-greater density and ever-faster tempos without losing any of their power. The rhythm section is never in a hurry to get anywhere… listen to how “No Veo El Sol” rumbles along, resisting the urge to fill its space with more beats and notes. The space is even more striking on “Lonquén,” which exchanges the d-beat for an even more wide-open, almost drunken-sounding pogo. By leaving this space open, the rhythm section creates room for the riffs to shine, which they definitely do. Eugene from Crazy Spirit plays guitar for Abism, and his knack for writing straightforward but very catchy riffs is not diminished in the least. With the instruments lying back and the riffs relatively sparse in terms of movement, the vocalist is the source of much of Abism’s intensity, their raspy snarl reminding me of Eddie from Vaaska. It’s amazing to me that, working with essentially the same sonic palette as other, broadly similar bands, Abism has arrived at something so cool and original. Another jewel in Toxic State’s heavy crown.
Our take: Much like the Fairytale album Toxic State released earlier this year, a hater could give this debut from New York’s Abism a cursory listen and dismiss it as just another d-beat record. Those of us who really love this stuff, though, will hear Abism’s originally and appreciate that they’ve made a singular record. I saw Abism play last summer, before they’d released any recordings, and at that gig I was struck by how original they sounded, how they sidestepped the hardcore arms race toward ever-greater density and ever-faster tempos without losing any of their power. The rhythm section is never in a hurry to get anywhere… listen to how “No Veo El Sol” rumbles along, resisting the urge to fill its space with more beats and notes. The space is even more striking on “Lonquén,” which exchanges the d-beat for an even more wide-open, almost drunken-sounding pogo. By leaving this space open, the rhythm section creates room for the riffs to shine, which they definitely do. Eugene from Crazy Spirit plays guitar for Abism, and his knack for writing straightforward but very catchy riffs is not diminished in the least. With the instruments lying back and the riffs relatively sparse in terms of movement, the vocalist is the source of much of Abism’s intensity, their raspy snarl reminding me of Eddie from Vaaska. It’s amazing to me that, working with essentially the same sonic palette as other, broadly similar bands, Abism has arrived at something so cool and original. Another jewel in Toxic State’s heavy crown.