The Pitch: Swiss post metal band Abraham delivers a two hour, four-part concept album via Pelagic Records, each section defined by a unique approach in terms of style, songwriting, degree of experimentation, and choice of instrumentation. FFO: Cult Of Luna, Schammasch, Minsk
What I Like: This truly is a massive undertaking. I tend to shy away from longer albums due to the increased time investment for review and my general lack of patience, but Look, Here Comes The Dark! is worth every minute. This album may have little to do with black metal, but even so I drew many parallels to fellow Swiss band Schammasch's Triangle. Abraham have a similar emphasis on varied pacing, stylistic eclecticism, and defying of listener epectations.
And when the band says that each part is different from the last, they mean it. I went into part 1 ("Anthropocene") thinking that this was just going to be a fusion of stoner rock and old school post-hardcore, but as the album progresses, we traverse through death metal, sludge, doom, jazz/psychodelic, and even some blackened vocals. I could break down the tracks that mark the beginning of each act, but trust me, you'll notice the shift.
As for the actual execution, Abraham have outdone themselves. An undertaking such as this could have easily devolved into a bloated mess. Instead, Look, Here Comes The Dark! ends up being a gripping journey that entices various moods with its storytelling and deeply satisfies with its endless genre-bending. Even after over an hour straight of listening, the 80's soundtrack style synths of "Wind" still had me utterly captivated. This album will surround and absorb your very being.
Critiques: I have a feeling that the more fanatical post-metal and progressive crowds will rate this even higher. I state this because my only critique is likely a personal one: I'm simply a fiend for faster, more concise music. Sitting through 2 hours of slow, plodding atmosphere, regardless of how masterfully done, is still not my default setting. If you have the same outlook, you'll likely have similar moments of restlessness. Even so, I implore you to stick it out to the end. This is the Blade Runner 2049 of metal albums.
The Verdict: Look, Here Comes The Dark! is an incredible album with a massive sound and monumental scope. While it may test the limits of your attention span, it does so very effectively with both strong performances and engaging songwriting. I am certain that Abraham will be another common contender on many a year end list come December. Buy it Friday.
Flight's Fav's: Ride The Sunrise, Wonderful World, Wind
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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