In A Valley of Harsh Gloom, Abstracter Gazes at the "Abyss Above" (Early Track Stream)

Abstracter‘s world is one of complete and total shadow. Shadow may in fact be the wrong word, since it suggests that there’s light to contrast it with, and within the noise-shrouded black and doom metal that the Californian band carves out on their fourth full-length Abominion, there’s none to be found. With a completely encompassing atmosphere, Abominion suffocates the very last vestiges of sunlight from its already grim subgenre combination. Expect no melodies and no pleasantries: enter a world of darkness and, at absolute best, grey despair, with our premiere of “Abyss Above,” a destructive ten-minute new single.

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“Abyss Above” emphasizes the doom side of Abstracter’s sound, focusing on the soul-crushing might of lumbering chords lashed into sinister and methodical progressions. Whispers and growls circle around these plodding riffs like temperamental gusts of wind, arriving with unintelligible proclamations and devolving into pure noise with only faint unease left behind. Drums are a key focal point as well, with a meaty snare sound serving as an anchor back to reality and thunderous, satisfying fills. Though the tempo of the song picks up instrumentally at times, the mood feels perpetually unhurried—it reminds me of trying to run in a dream, where no amount of panicked flailing will get you anywhere. In fact, Abominion‘s dreamily doomed atmosphere is almost wondrous in its nightmarishness: the visions manifested within are safely ensconced in a world different enough from our own that they seem walled off. Escapism, of the pitch-black variety.

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Abominion releases October 1st, 2021 via Sentient Ruin Laboratories.