First Review for "Abzu"

First review via No Clean Singing:

Absu’s 2011 pseudo-self-titled album, Abzu sends a message: “We are back, baby!” But wait, you may say, didn’t they already release a comeback album in 2009? With a near-identical title? And a similar cover? And the same funky wyvern mascot? Correct on all counts. But where ­Absu was overweight and boring, Abzu is sleek and stimulating—it is the sound of a band dedicated to constant improvement 20 years after its formation. If only more veterans shared their vitriol and dedication.

While Absu may have the lyrical and vocal aesthetic of black metal, at heart they want to be Slayer. At this point, aping LA’s finest is more than cliché, it’s juvenile. Bands trying to be Slayer (or Exodus for that matter—I’m looking at you, Heavy Artillery records) ceased to be interesting or innovative years ago. Props to Absu, then for doing their heroes justice and only cherry-picking those elements that work: They embrace their little beauty marks (the Araya-worship screams that punctuate “Earth Ripper”), not their most-xeroxed techniques (no trem-bar solos here).

Love of thrash keeps Abzu from inducing black metal fatigue, unlike some of their older records. New guitarist Vis Crom has elegance in his riffs that Shaftiel and Aethyris lacked, and his aptitude for middle-eastern-style solo melodies finally feels at home in Absu, not shoehorned in. Band leader Proscriptor McGovern works his hardest to out-fill Dave Lombardo, but has a style of his own. Nobody strings together tom hits the way he does.

Concordantly, Abzu feels at once familiar and unique. The production mirrors this: The instruments are dry and crunchy, but register with modern digital clarity. And god damn do those drums pop nicely. I felt a click when I heard this record, like when I try on a jacket in a store and it instantly registers as *the* article of clothing I was seeking. For the first time since Tara, the band is painting by magic, not numbers. (more after the jump . . .)

The album’s side B, the 14 minute epic “A Song for Ea,” is sure to stir up discussion—it’s the longest piece of music Absu have ever recorded. As far as self-conscious focal points go, it’s serviceably melodramatic and atmospheric with subtle keyboard harmonies and great military-cadence snare-rolls, both courtesy of Proscriptor. The best guitar solos on the album lurk within.

That said, the song is very self-consciously divided into separate movements with audible track breaks that seriously dampen the piece’s momentum. As a result it feels more like four separate thrash songs with a synth interlude than a cohesive work. I’m willing to bet that the decision to not break the movements up into separate tracks was a combination vinyl throwback and middle finger to the iPod generation—a fine choice, but one that fails to address the advantages of true through-composition.

Word to the wise, the people who would skip between movements will just fast-forward to their favorite section or skip the track entirely rather than suffer through irritating pauses where track breaks would have been, which is a shame considering that “A Song for Ea” is some of the most creative work Absu’s ever put to tape (hard drive?). A little more tweaking could have made it the perfect capstone to what is already a fine piece of art by some of the scene’s most under-appreciated veterans.

More Tour Dates Announced and Pre-Order Packages Available

Via Brooklyn Vegan and Earsplit:

ABSU will hit the road with Infernal Stronghold (from Philadelphia, PA) and one other band that will include three shows. Tickets for the shows are on sale with the dates are listed below.

ABSU + INFERNAL STRONGHOLD - 2011 TOUR DATES:
11/10: Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
11/11: Brooklyn, NY @ Europa
11/12: Reading, PA @ Reverb
11/13: Revere (Boston), MA @ Wonderland Ballroom
11/26: Montreal, QC @ Messe des Morts Festival

Preorder Packages from Candlelight Records available here.

More Box Sets Announced

Dark Symphonies/The Crypt have officially announced that they will release triple LP Box Sets for 'The Sun of Tiphareth', 'The Third Storm of Cythraul' and 'Tara' as they did with 'Barathrum V.I.T.R.I.O.L.'. A wealth of unreleased bonus material is planned for each set. 'The Sun...' should be released in 2012 and the other two albums will be released later. More details to come...

Dark Symphomies/The Crypt

Abzu Vinyl LP Available for Pre-Order

The Abzu Vinyl LP is now available for Pre-Order through Plastichead/Candlelight Records. NOTE: The artwork they are showing is NOT the final artwork for the LP. That will be revealed at a later time.

Plastichead

Announcing: The Tarot Productions Vault

Looking for some exclusive ABSU merchandise (some of which are extremely limited)?   How about exclusive releases from Tarot Productions or items direct from the vaults of Tarot Productions, many of which are super rare or limited?

You've found the right place. Click here for more information.

Absu.us launched and Lyrics for "Abzu" posted.

Ladies and Gentleman - the new website has been launched. This blog will remain as your news source and in coordination with the new site. The new site was developed for the fans by fans and (of course) with plenty of input from ABSU. Your input is always welcome and appreciated.

As a celebratory treat for the new website, the lyrics for the new album "Abzu" have been posted in the "Lyrical Magic(k)" section.

"Abzu" Available For Pre-Order

ABSU's 6th full length album "Abzu" is available for pre-order now.

Go here to reserve your copy. For now, this is only the Digipak CD. Other formats will be made available later.