Abyecta: Inténtalo o Muere 7”

Abyecta: Inténtalo o Muere 7” (Metadona Records) New two-song single from this Chilean band, and while we’ve carried and enjoyed Abyecta’s previous releases, it really feels like they put everything they had into this record. Though it’s only two songs, there are more ideas here than a lot of bands have over the course of their entire lifespan. Both tracks are like little symphonies with central riffs that get reworked, repurposed, and elaborated on throughout the course of the song, building something that’s far more musically ambitious than your typical hardcore tune, yet never feeling like anything but pure hardcore punk. Take the a-side, “Inténtalo o Muere,” for instance. It sounds like a pretty standard hardcore tune for the first half with a super catchy main riff (which has a pretty heavy nod to the Execute) and a great chorus, but then at around the three-minute mark, it collapses into this flail of inchoate guitar noodling… then—surprise!—that inchoate noodling gradually coheres to something more solid, sort of like a slime monster emerging out of a puddle of ectoplasm, then the band breaks into a scorching new riff that incorporates a little piece of that first riff, yet feels completely new. The two halves of the song—divided by that little noodly part in the middle—are like separate but related songs, not just strung together but in a sophisticated musical dialog with one another. This is like classical composer-type shit, but if it were played by the English Dogs… and I love it! And while I’m blown away with how well-composed these songs are, I also have to shout out the vocals, which are just incredible… they’re punk as hell, but with a far deeper level of musicality than virtually anything else out there, and the melodies are just brilliant. As incredible as the riffs and the songs are, the vocals are right there with them, equally worthy of your attention. I really just can’t say enough good things about this single. Sadly, I think many people will miss it just because of the format, but if Abyecta puts together a 12” with material this strong, you better watch the fuck out.