(written by Islander)
The last time we hosted a premiere for Ohio-based Abyssal Rift, in the lead-up to their 2023 debut album Extirpation Dirge, we described the music as abyssal and extraterrestrial, abysmal and maddened, imperiously malignant and violent — “a rendering of death/doom that’s viscerally arresting but also atmospherically surreal, and strangely seductive as well as monstrous”.
That debut album was so frighteningly arresting that the thought of what they might do next triggered recollection of that famous line from the sci-fi horror film The Fly: “Be afraid. Be very afraid.” Well, now we know what they’ve done next, and the warning is valid.
What they’ve done next is create a second album named Relics of Great Ash that will be released on August 14th by the band’s new label Transcending Obscurity Records. And what we’re doing next is bringing you the premiere of its third single, “Sphere of Perpetuity“.
Even on their debut album Abyssal Rift displayed a talent for interweaving changing facets of their sound, and that songwriting dynamism is even more pronounced on the new album. As Transcending Obscurity has written:
For a band of this ilk, the music is far more intricate and involved than it seems, with moments of it being fleshed out or slowed down if only to emphasize the unfathomable heaviness. At other times, the music builds in intensity until it reaches a crescendo, to be followed by a filthy, chugging part, a ripping solo, or a transcendental or industrial-tinged atmospheric passage. They manage to mix it all up without losing coherency or their asphyxiating grip on the listener.
The song you’re about to hear exemplifies these qualities. At the outset the music shivers, scars, and sears. It creates an ominous feeling of encroaching terror even before abyssal growls climb out of their crevasse. After an eerie pause, a bass guitar dismally reverberates against a backdrop of swirling sonic mist and violent drumming, establishing a simple but chilling melody.
The music changes again, without losing the melodic thread. Feedback sears; chords crash; the drums slowly snap and slug; the gutturals are ghoulishly foul; and that melody seems to wail and moan.
The song becomes an immense, heaving beast, but also transforms into a ghostly and gasping experience, a very cold and otherworldly trek that fades away to nothingness — only to revive.
When it revives, the riffing feverishly squirms and quivers, blurts and blares, even though the drums are steady. And then the drums convulse and the music grimly claws. The ensuing guitar solo is even more convulsive in its shrill and spiraling manifestation of lunacy.
Near the end, the band surge and viciously jab while the drums kick up an avalanche, but the riffing also strangely slithers and cavorts until abruptly halted.
This is definitely not a conventional rendering of death/doom, but one that’s geared toward spinning listeners’ heads. It twists and turns in unexpected ways, and is as alien (and even quirky) as it is gruesome and crushing, but ultimately everything holds together very well. And yes… it’s a scary sonic hallucination too.
ABYSSAL RIFT:
Matt Auxier – Guitars, lead vocals, synths , programming
Mike Sliclen – Bass, vocals
Brandon Smith – Drums, percussion, vocals
Relics of Great Ash features artwork and drawings by Brandon Smith
and cover photo by Mike Sliclen. Transcending Obscurity will release it on vinyl LP, jewel-case CD, and digital formats, with the label’s usual array of apparel. T.O. recommends it for fans of Incantation, Disembowelment, Saevus Finis, and Cruciamentum.
Below, we’re also including streams of the first two singles from the album, “Consummate Design” and “The Enlightenment (There Was Never Will)“.
PRE-ORDER:
https://abyssalrift-label.bandcamp.com/album/relics-of-great-ash
http://transcendingobscurity.aisamerch.com/
http://us.tometal.com/
http://eu.tometal.com/
ABYSSAL RIFT:
https://facebook.com/Abyssalrift
https://instagram.com/abyssal_rift