Review: Abysmal Dawn-Phylogenesis

Since their debut album From Ashes in 2006, the Los Angeles band Abysmal Dawn have released some of the best modern death metal of the past two decades. Their solid output earned them touring spots alongside legends of the genre like Cannibal Corpse and Obituary. The best quality of the band is their use of technicality through their songs but they are not afraid to slow things down and focus on a groove. This mindset toward songwriting makes their songs complex yet still meat and potatoes death metal. (See "In Service of Time" and "Inanimate") Their lyrics are bleak, painting the world as desolate. Abysmal Dawn are often overshadowed by other bands in death metal but are more than capable of standing on their own.      

Phylogenesis is the band's fifth studio album in six years following the excellent Obsolescence in 2014 on Relapse Records. Abysmal Dawn's fifth foray is the first to be released by the French extreme music label Season of Mist. Right of the bat, the cover art is eye catching as always. Abysmal Dawn have commissioned Swedish artist Par Olofsson for this and every other album in their discography. Olofsson is one of the most recognizable cover artists in the extreme music genre. Each of his works are vibrant yet disturbing, often using bright colors to convey a bleak portrait.    

The album kicks off with "Mundane Existence." Opening with a warped quote stating "Are we not gods? But for the wisdom," the intro track starts off business as usual for Abysmal Dawn. The riff work from vocalist/guitarist Charles Elliott and lead guitarist Vito Petroni is relentless. The intro features fast tremolo picked riffs and scale runs. The drum and bass from James Coppolino and Eliseo Garcia respectively holds the song together tightly. Garcia also supplies some backing vocals behind Elliott's guttural roars. The lyrics discuss living an unfulfilled life, of owning the knowledge to become something greater but never achieving it. This song is a great showcase of Abysmal Dawn's ability to balance technicality, brutality, and groove perfectly. The ending repeats the line: "You are sin and a disease, A failure for a dying god."

The fury continues with "The Path of the Totalitarian," one of the many singles released for the album. Keeping with the desolate nature of the vocals, this track focuses on how ignorance leads complete control from power-hungry authoritarian figures."Sewn shut eyes cannot see the truth before them. Deafened ears cannot hear the cries of fraud. Severed tongues cannot speak the words of reason. Vacant minds can't perceive what's really going on." Elliot and Petroni showcase their solo chops perfectly on this track following this lyrical section. "Hedonistic," arguably the most riff focused song on the album, chugs along with some fast-paced riffs and suddenly slows for mid-tempo section where all the instruments lock together for catchy, breakdown-esque riff.

"A Speck in the Fabric of Eternity" pummels the listener from the very beginning with a fast chugging riff that locks into a groove thanks to Coppolino's tight drumming. The concept of time plays a major role in the lyrics seen throughout Abysmal Dawn's discography and "Speck" is no exception. Here, much like "In Service of Time" from Leveling the Planes of Existence, the lyrics discuss the futility of mankind. "Coerced Evolution" features a heavy, stop-and-start triplet riff. Groove is the name of the game for this track with it's consistent mid-paced riffing and dense drum work. The tracks shifts however around the 2:13 mark with technical guitar runs and Elliott verging on beat-boxing. Coppolino's drum work really shines through on this track. "True to the Blind" is the most straight forward, meat and potatoes death metal track on Phylogenesis. Not overly flashy with technicality or too bogged down in a groove, just a fine example traditional death metal. 
     
The main riff of the track, "Soul-Sick Nation," hearkens back to groove metal of the 90's with it's bluesy and slidey structure. The track sounds downtuned compared to the rest of the album; adding to the heaviness and making the riffs stand out. In traditional Abysmal Dawn fashion, the band ends the album with an epic closer. "The Lament Configuration," the longest track on the album, is a sweeping, expansive track that shows all the musical prowess that the band has to offer. The intro builds up anticipation with distorted open chords, a thumping audible bass, and muted guitar ryhtmn bringing the song forward. The song focuses on self-demise, how someone can be their own worst enemy. "Your dream have all but died and left, crushed by the weight of your own desires. The traps you laid yourself are finally tripped, you thrived in chaos but your time has expired." This closing track serves as a perfect exhibit of Abysmal Dawn as a whole and what makes them a force to be reckoned with in modern death metal. The bonus track is an excellent cover of Death' "Flattening of Emotions" off their album Human. This cover shows some love to the late Chuck Schuldiner and makes it more obvious why the surviving members of Death chose Elliott to man the mic and guitar on the Death to All tour back in 2012.

All in all, Abysmal Dawn have once again crafted a masterclass in death metal. The lyrics, although it is doubtful the band originally intended this, reflect the strange and unsettling times the world is facing at this very moment. The guitars are second to none and the drumming is superb. The bass unfortunately suffers from the usual trappings of death metal production; often being muted behind guitars and vocals. But Eliseo Garcia does a great job providing the mortar for the overall structure of the band. Phylogenesis is vigorous display of extreme music that will be hard to top this year.   

Listen/purchase the album digitally here

Purchase CD/LP/Merch here
Check out AD's beautiful cover of doom classic "Bewitched" by Candlemass here

Symbolic-25 Years Later

Granting the nickname "the Godfather of Death Metal" to vocalist/guitarist Chuck Schuldiner, a title he ultimately did not admire, is appropriate. Without his influence on the genre and on extreme music, some of the now numerous subgenres of death metal would have taken longer to gain full attention. Death's first three albums, Scream Bloody Gore, Leprosy, and Spiritual Healing, laid the foundation for death metal in the late 80s and very early 90s. Following the release of Human in 1991, Schuldiner's approach to songwriting took more progressive turn. While hinted at very briefly on Spiritual Healing, the overall instrumentation displayed on Human featured more technicality and elements of jazz than any previous Death album. The track "Lack of Comprehension," with it's slow, spacey intro and crazy soloing showed that Death planned on heading in a very different direction compared to their earlier releases. This is due partially to who Chuck surrounded himself with in the studio. Guitarist Paul Masvidal and drummer Sean Reinert (R.I.P.), of the prog-metal pioneers Cynic, both played on Human and expanded the overall composition greatly.

Human's follow-up, 1993's Individual Thought Patterns, continued along these new guidelines. The track "Trapped in a Corner" is a great example of the proggier instrumentation. Chuck and Andy LaRocque focus more on tapping and bass master Steve DiGorgio uses a fretless bass that adds so much to the overall nature of the track (and the album overall for that matter.) Symbolic released two years later in 1995 and demonstrated another watershed moment in Death's history. This album is the last "Human-era" Death release before the band went full-on progressive death metal on their last album The Sound of Perseverance in 1998; an album that is one-of-a-kind when compared to the entirety of Death's discography. While picking a favorite Death album is subjective and one's pick will always lead to some form of debate from fellow Death die-hards, Symbolic is Death's most personal, positive, and masterfully written album.

Stream the album here
Pardon the lack of a proper Bandcamp streaming link. This album is currently in limbo between several different record labels despite Relapse Records owning nearly all the rights to Death's music. Symbolic is available on major streaming services.

Symbolic starts with the title track. A slow chugging riff and mid-paced tempo brings in some oddly positive lyrics. Normally, the lyrics featured in Death songs are negative yet thought-provoking and discuss Schuldiner's personal outlook and philosophy on organized religion, greed, the treatment of others, and life itself. However, "Symbolic" sees Schuldiner wax nostalgic on the value of vivid memories and how they bring him joy.

"I don't mean to dwell,
but I can't help myself.
When I feel the vibe and taste a memory,
of a time in life,
when years seemed to stand still"

The dark instrumentation counters the positive lyrics and the track also shows the band's petion for speed. "Zero Tolerance" slows the album to a crawl with legendary drummer Gene Hoglan taking center stage. The mid-section of the song features some melodic and almost doomy riffing and subtle clean guitars behind the distortion. "Empty Words" features a clean and modulated intro that mimics those seen on the two previous albums. This track also showcases Schuldiner's vocal shift into the upper register; a concept he dove headfirst into on The Sound of Perseverance. (Look no further than his performance on Spirit Crusher or his cover of Judas Priest's Painkiller. The vocals on Painkiller alone could shatter glass!)

"Sacred Serenity" features more positive lyrics, this time discussing Schuldiner's love for cats and dogs. An outspoken animal lover, this track is Chuck's ode to his furry friends.

"Wherever we go, whatever we do.
Your shadow is not far behind our steps and our breath.
Protecting and watching all,
Observing spirits on the wall"

The bass steals the show on this track. Kelly Conlon shows that he can hold his own despite having to follow the immense standard set by DiGiorgio on the previous albums."1,000 Eyes" thrashes away and discusses the growing concern of constant surveillance due to increasing crime rates. Chuck opines on how many of the populace remain blind to the fact that they are "living in the pupil of 1,000 eyes." The intense distorted riffage, driving bass, and various fills from both the drums and guitars define the track. Schuldiner wrote the track, "Crystal Mountain," about his snooty, religious neighbors. While not opposed to religion in general, Schuldiner hated when religious people saw and actively believed themselves to be better than anyone else. He stated "They believe they live a perfect life in a crystal mountain. Unfortunately, I live next door to these religious fanatics, who live [on Earth] and certainly not in [those] mountains." The track ends with some classical guitar solos over the main verse riff. The switch around fast, thrash-like riffs in the intro and Cynic-like song writing in the chorus of "Misanthrope," a track that is apparently about aliens looking at the actions of humanity, makes for yet another quality song.

Breaking away from the track list, "Without Judgment" and the closer "Perennial Quest" represent some of the best progressive death metal songs later-era Death has to offer. These songs see each individual member lock perfectly in sync with what Schuldiner is yearning to achieve on this album. Both of these tracks display Death's new style to a perfect T. "Without Judgment," dense with proggy riffs moving up and down the fretboard and tapping atmospheric composition in the later half, is equal parts aggressive and beautiful. "Perennial Quest" is exactly that, more of a journey than a song. Positive lyrics about one's quest for happiness in life and some fantastic acoustic guitars in the outro, caps off the album perfectly.

"Won't you join me on the perennial quest
Reaching into the dark, retrieving light
Search for answers on the perennial quest
Where dreams are followed, and time is a test"

After the release and supporting tour of Symbolic, Schuldiner put Death on hiatus to focus on a more traditional yet still progressive metal project, Control Denied. The new band featured a who's who of metal musicians including former Death members Steve DiGiorgio and Richard Christy. After recording a few demos, the label Nuclear Blast Records put the release of the band's debut on hold for The Sound of Perseverance, the final Death album. The Fragile Art of Existence released one year later in 1999 and displays Chuck's more melodic and progressive guitar playing perfectly. Control Denied partially recorded a follow-up, When Man and Machine Collide, but unfortunately Chuck Schuldiner passed away due to brain cancer on December 13, 2001 at the age of 34. Another legend in music taken far too soon.

While there is a clear division in Death's discography with fans gravitating toward either the earlier albums or the more ambitious later releases, there really is something for everyone here. However, Symbolic is arguable Death's magnum opus. It provides all the components of Death's music into one convenient package. Simple yet effective rhythm riffs, progressive song structures, intricate solos and scalar fills, a tight and virtuosic rhythm section, and intriguing lyrics. The album marked the end of an era for Death and is a clear pivot point leading into Chuck's more progressive focused end of his career. 25 years on and Symbolic still stands as a testament to the legacy of Chuck Schuldiner. 

Official Death CDs/LPs/Merch available here

Article featuring links to interviews with Chuck about Symbolic here

Review: The Ditch and the Delta-S/T

A lot of debate surrounds the subgenre of sludge metal. Fans find it hard to pin down exactly who started the it and where it's roots lie. One side argues The Melvins, hailing from the American West Coast, kickstarted sludge with their debut in 1987. The other side argues that New Orleans acts like Eyehategod, Acid Bath, and Crowbar laid the foundation for the genre. Honestly, why not find some peaceful middle ground? There is already enough in-fighting within the nearly infinite world of genre labeling. A better argument would be The Melvins started sludge metal and the New Orleans scene perfected it. The American South acts as a hotbed of sludge metal bands with Louisiana and Georgia turning out some of the genre's best. Soon after the debuts of New Orleans sludge bands came a wave of sludge metal from all over the globe like Iron Monkey in the UK and Corrupted from Japan. Now, sludge is a mainstay and like any other genre of music, is constantly evolving.

Hailing from Salt Lake City, Utah, sludge trio The Ditch and the Delta present a short but sweet follow-up to their 2017 Prosthetic Records debut Hives in Decline. That record showed a lot of potential for what the band could do. It's full of crushing riffs, laid back bluesy twang, and in-your-face dual vocal performances. Hives, much like this self titled follow-up, clocked in at just over 30 minutes. While short, the album acted as an easily digestible listen into TD&TD's sound. Despite being labeled as sludge metal, the band does more than the typical sounds seen within that genre. Even their label describes them as "sludgy math rock." The best descriptor comes from Hellound.ca from a review of TD&TD's EP We Rust. "One may hear early Melvins or Eyehategod one minute and the next hear Intronaut or even Pure era Godflesh sounds coming from their headphones." The band shows their respect for the progenitors of the genre while also including some other elements from other genres that they love. 

   
With The Delta and the Delta, the band continues down the same path established on their debut while adding new elements to their sound. "Maimed" starts the album off with a bang. Pummeling riffs and dual vocals from bassist/vocalist Kory Quist and guitarist/vocalist Elliot Secrist get right to the point. The track bobs and weaves between the heavy hitting riffs of the intro to dissident chords and to pure drones. The bass is distorted but props up the heavily fuzzed out guitar tone well. The cymbal heavy, frantic drumming from Brian Fell is excellent. The track fades into the next "Exile" which starts with overdriven chords with some slight modulation. The lyrics "I felt old far too young. Gave in to dragging days" and "Stones, tell the stones, that I'm already gone" repeat throughout the song; focusing on how aging is a constant part of life. The track takes a more chordal approach with a few breakaway riffs (like the one featured in the outro) to keep listeners engaged.

The band slows things down considerably in the beginning portion of "Aesthetics of Failure," the longest track on the album. Fuzzy drones and discordant bends go on until the four minute mark, where Secrist atmospherically swells in various notes while the distorted bass drones and the drums maintain a slow pace. "Molt" and "Bleed the Sun" see the vocals take center stage with interesting lyrics. "Awake and alone, the night it started. Sweaty and fevered, I’m floating. Below me, my body molting." The lyrics reflect an out of body experience or a loss of self. The starting, reverb drenched riff is mimicked in a lower register later in the track. The lyrics of "Bleed the Sun" paint a more desolate picture of a doomed future. "Power is meaningless. All I’ll leave in this bizarre dream is this fact, your generations blew the future, and mine will end it." The riffs are loose, bluesy, and catchy with the drums keeping a tight beat.

Post-metal tones and the bending dissident chords see early in the album layer the penultimate track "Hiraeth." The song keeps an even mid-pace until a chugging heavy outro with the thought provoking question "Was it a life well lived?" being shouted out at the listener. The closer "Tectonic Selves" sees Secrist play a fast and mathy scalar run with some added octave effect at the start. The track features more of the bending and swelled in riffs return from "Aesthetics of Failure."  The lyrics of the closer reflect a life changing experience, a huge shift, and being born anew."Shift. Take us under. Bend and break, melt us, take us under." With a huge ending riff accompanying the lyrics "Push us up anew. Through seasons of grieving and rejoicing."

Overall, The Ditch and the Delta is a great follow-up to the band's debut. It is the perfect length as to not overstay it's welcome but keep listeners wanting more. This album evokes vibes of Turbid North, another band with roots spreading far and wide in metal while still remaining true to their desired genre. Fans of doom metal will definitely enjoy the album and honestly, any fan of metal can find something to enjoy here. TD&TD have firmly planted their feet in the sludge metal genre while still being able to show love to their roots.


Stream/buy this album and the rest of The Ditch and the Delta's discography here