Sea Of Tranquility



The Web Source for Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal & Jazz-Fusion
  Search   in       
Main Menu




Abstract, The: The Abstract

Utilising complex frameworks and ever changing backdrops, female fronted progressive death metal outfit The Abstract serve up a twenty minute, three track EP that relies as heavily on avant-garde ideals as it does straight up death metal for inspiration. "The All Seeing Eye" leaves you in little doubt at just how heavy and just how intricate this hammer slam of sounds is. With instrumental passages that dart and whirl, while still grinding intensely, that this Mexican outfit sound as uncompromising as they do is little surprise when the heaviness on offer remains pretty much constant, even when restrained breakdowns are employed. However it's the darting guitar lines, roaming drums and booming bass that create the varied maelstrom. This band's ability to throw flurries of notes into the pot at a variety of tempo, what really keeps you dialled in. Cleverly, singer Mariana keeps her growls sharp and pointed, adding to the weight of what's thundering down round about her, while still able to provide a lightness of touch many a male frontman could learn from.

As you might expect from a younger band, at times it all comes a little undone, the enthusiasm and excitement at illustrating their undoubted talent sometimes outweighing the music it actually creates. A slight over egging of the pudding evident across all three tracks laid out, although it's "Ousia" where this is most obvious. Strangely for such varied fare, even across just twenty minutes, there's also a lack of diversity, the jagged guitar runs from the aforementioned "Ousia" changing little as the EP surges into "Virtual Abstraction", the bristling riffs barely different from song to song.

As a way to introduce the complex anger The Abstract hold within them, their self titled debut does a decent job of leaving you intrigued enough to want to hear more. The band themselves need to evolve and pull in some of their more exuberant tendencies to actually reveal all the elements they seem keen to explore. However in terms of potential, there's certainly plenty on show.


Track Listing
1. The All-seeing Eye
2. Ousia
3. Virtual Abstraction

Added: November 20th 2016
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: The Abstract on Bandcamp
Hits: 2098
Language: english

[ Printer Friendly Page Printer Friendly Page ]
[ Send to a Friend Send to a Friend ]

  

[ Back to the Reviews Index | Post Comment ]



© 2004 Sea Of Tranquility
For information regarding where to send CD promos and advertising, please see our FAQ page.
If you have questions or comments, please Contact Us.
Please see our Policies Page for Site Usage, Privacy, and Copyright Policies.

All logos and trademarks in this site are property of their respective owner. The comments are property of their posters, all other content © Sea of Tranquility

SoT is Hosted by SpeedSoft.com