- Apr 17, 2008
- 52
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Named after one of the principal accusers of the Salem witch trials of 1692, which ended with 19 presumably innocent people executed to death under accusations of practising witchcraft, Abigail Williams is a North-American group delving into a Black-Metal-tinged sonority somewhat indebted to UKs Cradle of Filth.
Their excessive use of keyboards to convey the songs with an obscure and terrifying atmosphere coupled with vocalists Sorceron persistent practise of high-pitched Dani Filth-styled screeches are the most easily recognisable traits that brought to mind such comparison.
Exhibiting a great production work from Death-Metal guitar maestro James Murphy, In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns is actually the groups debut full-length album, following a well-received EP named Legends. Thought Im not familiar with their previous release I recall reading something along the line of a Metalcore act trying to linger over Norse Black-Metal. Well unless someone is pulling the shit with such observations, aside from their well-adjusted slightly hardcore image eschewing the corpse-paint of their Norwegian counterparts, I really cant hear that much Metalcore input here. Its essentially a symphonic and absurdly ferocious take on Black-Metal, neither wholly Norse-influenced nor exclusively similar to Brits Cradle of Filth. Well-written and well-played, songs such as The World Beyond, Acolytes and Into the Ashes do see the band deftly treading the cold, atmospheric and vile path explored by COF on albums like Cruelty and the Beast, while tracks like Empyrean: Into the Cold Wastes witness Abigail Williams bordering on an almost Norse relentless savagery. It should be mentioned that In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns features the fantastic and powerful drummer Trym Torson from Emperor/Zyklon fame, which enhanced these ten songs with an incredible nasty and furiously fast performance.
Although their synth-drenched sections owe a lot to COFs influence, theres occasionally a glimpse glow that indicates other inspirations as well like for example A Thousand Suns, its strange and progressive leanings are certainly more reminiscent of someone like Arcturus.
Bottom line, Abigail Williams is a band to watch out and In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns a record to hear, despite its derivative side.
http://www.scratchthesurface-webzine.blogspot.com
Their excessive use of keyboards to convey the songs with an obscure and terrifying atmosphere coupled with vocalists Sorceron persistent practise of high-pitched Dani Filth-styled screeches are the most easily recognisable traits that brought to mind such comparison.
Exhibiting a great production work from Death-Metal guitar maestro James Murphy, In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns is actually the groups debut full-length album, following a well-received EP named Legends. Thought Im not familiar with their previous release I recall reading something along the line of a Metalcore act trying to linger over Norse Black-Metal. Well unless someone is pulling the shit with such observations, aside from their well-adjusted slightly hardcore image eschewing the corpse-paint of their Norwegian counterparts, I really cant hear that much Metalcore input here. Its essentially a symphonic and absurdly ferocious take on Black-Metal, neither wholly Norse-influenced nor exclusively similar to Brits Cradle of Filth. Well-written and well-played, songs such as The World Beyond, Acolytes and Into the Ashes do see the band deftly treading the cold, atmospheric and vile path explored by COF on albums like Cruelty and the Beast, while tracks like Empyrean: Into the Cold Wastes witness Abigail Williams bordering on an almost Norse relentless savagery. It should be mentioned that In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns features the fantastic and powerful drummer Trym Torson from Emperor/Zyklon fame, which enhanced these ten songs with an incredible nasty and furiously fast performance.
Although their synth-drenched sections owe a lot to COFs influence, theres occasionally a glimpse glow that indicates other inspirations as well like for example A Thousand Suns, its strange and progressive leanings are certainly more reminiscent of someone like Arcturus.
Bottom line, Abigail Williams is a band to watch out and In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns a record to hear, despite its derivative side.
http://www.scratchthesurface-webzine.blogspot.com