Laughing In The Dark
On September 28, 2010, the world of Abacinate suffered a major blow with the death of their new vocalist, Jason Sica. He was only 25 years old and had spent about a year with the band, but his time with them saw Abacinate with possibly their most creative and successful output as of yet. Genesis is Abacinate's second full-length studio album, and certainly an album worth tracking down for fans of technical death metal with some metalcore/hardcore tendencies.
From the first 30 seconds of Genesis, it's so obvious that these guys are from America, and (more specifically) from the northeast scene. Abacinate's sound just reeks of highly-technical death metal infused with metalcore breakdowns, not to mention the diverse and complex vocal patterns. Although this generally isn't my favorite style of music, Abacinate delivers the sound well and professionally. There a few funny lines in-between songs that are akin to more comical grindcore acts (most notably, "What's the point of living... if you don't have a dick?"). I laughed so hard the first time I heard that one! From a musical point of view, Abacinate is a very skillful group of musicians who certainly have no shortage of chops. Jason Sica's style of vocals usually wouldn't appeal to me, but I've actually had a great time hearing him on Genesis. He's a very diverse and talented vocalist who can successfully deliver deep guttural growls, high-pitched shrieks, and metalcore-syled vocals without ever sounding inconsistent. I'm actually reminded of Sven de Caluwé (Aborted, System Divide), which is obviously a good thing. It's a shame Jason was taken from us so soon.
The production is clean, polished, and professional. It's nothing revolutionary, but it's a good mix that fits Genesis perfectly.
Conclusion:
Genesis isn't a terribly unique or groundbreaking masterwork, but it's a more-than-competent technical death metal album that should undoubtedly please fans of Abacinate and the genre in general. This is a perfect swansong for Jason Sica - Rest In Peace. 3.5 stars are deserved for this highly-enjoyable and technically demanding album. Although the band's future is uncertain at this point, it's in my best wishes that they continue making top-notch technical death metal/metalcore in the coming years.
Track Listing:
1. Night Of The Desirable Objects (4:43)
2. Disturbing Remedies For A Desperate Disease (3:23)
3. Purveyors Of Scum (4:04)
4. Necroplunger (3:04)
5. The Natural Disasters (4:20)
6. A Harmless Walk (3:37)
7. An American Obsession (4:09)
8. Laughing In The Dark Pt. I (3:20)
9. Laughing In The Dark Pt. II (5:22)
10. The Bundy Curse (4:52)
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
